


Roses For Mr. Neal

by JacularMetteld



Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Blackmail, Dorks, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, Feels, Happy Ending, Jealous!Rhett, Link being Link, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating will change, Rhett POV, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, The Bachelor AU, business man rhett, hot dates, hot kisses, jealous!Link, mentions of illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-04-03 21:54:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 74,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14005629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JacularMetteld/pseuds/JacularMetteld
Summary: This is an AU based on The Bachelor TV show. Why? Because ofGMM 1251.Rhett is a successful businessman looking for a man of his dreams to share his life with. He is nearly 40-years-old and while he was building career he didn't find the love of his life. After seeing commercials looking for dreamy bachelors for the first ever gay version of The Bachelor, his friends encourage him to join. It was for the fun of it at first but soon he realized his life is never going to be the same again.





	1. The Curtain Call

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a nice little ficlet but it grew up to be like this so why not post it? Thanks for the endless encouragement to [Noctomythiclaw](https://noctomythiclaw.tumblr.com/), [Rhettandtwink](https://rhettandtwink.tumblr.com/), and [Daya108](https://daya108.tumblr.com/) at Tumblr. Huge thanks to [Killthenaughtyboy](https://killthenaughtyboy.tumblr.com/) for betaing and helping me, and for the amazing comments already. Where would I be without you!

That night Rhett had pondered if agreeing to be the bachelor for the show was a big mistake and it had kept him up all night. His friends had gotten him into this and they had been convincing, he was going to be forty-years-old soon and he wanted to finally find someone, so there he was.His longest relationship had only lasted few weeks over two years ago when he was in his twenties. Somehow he had always gone career first, he had been struggling with his sexuality in his younger years and he thought it would be easier just to leave serious relationships to a time when he would be out of school and have a steady job. He would live somewhere else, in a bigger city where being homosexual was not such a big deal.

After school, he found a job, built up a career and eventually ended up owning his own entertainment company which made shows for Youtube. It had been a long road to get there. He was mostly on the other side of the lens working in the background, but he had hosted in one talk show type of program. But then when he got older he left that among other shows to his employees. Money wasn’t an issue anymore and wouldn’t ever be. His life was secure, but there was no one to share it all with. He had dated several guys but none of them was the right one for him. One might have been but Rhett had kind of chickened out, fearing commitment and blamed the break-up for the amount of work he had.

A year later when he had realized how stupid he had been, it was already too late. He had found someone else and Rhett had admitted his defeat.

Confessing his stupidity to his friend one drunken night he had jokingly said that maybe he could try out for this show. The Bachelor. The gay version, of course. His friend had laughed at first but then it had become a brilliant idea and there Rhett was now: getting ready for the day in front of cameras, meeting 25 potential future husbands.

The idea of finding true love this way didn’t seem possible but he was optimistic. He hoped to find someone; he wanted to settle down and have a family of his own to have someone to come home to. He had craved for that for his whole life. 

The day passed by quickly with interviews and meetings. He had only gotten a little time for himself alone when he put on his suit after making sure his beard was neatly trimmed and his hair was styled in the best way he could possibly manage. He could have had help with that but he insisted getting prepared on his own, except for the make-up for the cameras.

As soon as he said he was ready there were half a dozen people swarming around him, patting his face with powder and stuff he didn’t even recognize. He had make-up artists in his own company but at the time he was doing his own show he didn’t need them. His company had been much smaller back then.

The producer and the director went through the day’s upcoming events with him one last time. He had seen pictures and heard the contestants names but it would be a lot different to actually see them in flesh.  Rhett got nervous, this was really happening and he couldn’t back away now. There were people excited to meet him, wanting him to pick them, wanting to fall in love with him. They wanted the same thing as he did: a partner.

Rhett got himself together. He was determined to have fun and he had promised that to his best friend Kyle, the one who was a big part of getting him into this show in the first place. He trusted him and he would be only a phone call away if he needed his help. It was comforting. Kyle had been in his life for over a decade; they had found each other when Rhett was starting his hobby, off-roading. Throughout the years they became close. Rhett had been even the best man in Kyle’s wedding. Soon it would be time for Kyle to be the best man in Rhett’s wedding. Rhett pushed those thoughts away and decided to focus on meeting new people rather than thinking about them as his partner immediately. 

The fancy limousine drove him to the mansion where the candidates would be staying. He, of course, wasn’t allowed to live there and he had his own house a few miles away. Everyone would get an equal chance to be with him. No secret late night visits were allowed. Not that Rhett was into that anyway. Maybe when he was younger but not anymore, he wanted to know a person before having sex with them. Sure there would be people who would be more enthusiastic than others and would come on to him harder. Rhett didn’t mind, he liked to be admired. He knew he was handsome, fit, and exceptionally tall. He had noticed it attracted many men he had met before. He needed more than just physical attraction, appearance didn’t mean much when there was nothing good on the inside. He needed someone to keep up with him in his hectic life and he needed someone who would make him laugh. Someone to love and give all of him.

There were cameras surrounding him when he stepped out of the car. Everything was set beautifully. There were candles along the red carpet and big flower arrangements everywhere to make the scene the most romantic for the viewers. He had been told that it would be easier if he could ignore cameras and not think about the others who would be watching the show while he opened his heart for entertainment value. The cameras and the show were there to help him, not just to get every juicy detail of his dating life. 

The sun was setting and the air was still warm. He met the host of the show and he exchanged a few words with him before he stepped aside, leaving Rhett to meet the candidates hoping to become his future husband.

When the first limousine arrived he shook his hands to make sure they weren’t sweaty. No matter how hard Rhett he tried to calm himself down he couldn’t; Rhett had never been this nervous in his life. The door of the limousine opened and a tall man, almost as tall as him, stepped out of the car. He had a wide smile on his face, exposing his pearly white teeth. His mocha colored skin looked smooth and his dark eyes were sparkling in the dim light. Rhett’s heart skipped a beat. _This guy could be a model._ He remembered seeing his picture before but it had not done justice to this gorgeous man. The man offered his hand to Rhett and Rhett shook it. He introduced himself and the man greeted him with his own name; Connor. Rhett was sure he wouldn’t forget this one, the guy was probably the most handsome man he had ever seen. There was an immediate physical attraction and the few words they exchanged flowed naturally before he entered the mansion. Rhett felt a little relieved, it was not as bad anymore now that he had met the first one. The first car had four more candidates and every one of them looked their best and were nice. Rhett’s nervousness was disappearing and he looked forward to getting to know all of the candidates better.

More cars arrived with more candidates and Rhett just hoped he would be able to remember all of their names soon. He would struggle but the production team would help him with that. The last car arrived. Rhett thought that at this point he would already be exhausted but he felt as energetic as ever. The first one to step out of the last car immediately seemed different than the others. Not just because he stumbled on his way out, nearly falling onto his face, but there was something else he couldn't quite put a finger on. 

‘’Careful!’’ Rhett took a couple of steps forward, ready to catch the man if he was falling but he regained his balance before Rhett could get to him.

‘’Dang it.’’ Rhett heard the man mutter as he straightened out his suit. It made Rhett smile.  _ Quite an entrance. _ Rhett got a good look at him. Others had been wearing solid colored suits but this man in front of him had on plaid pants and a navy blue suit jacket, brown shoes, and a yellow tie, matched with yellow socks he got a peek of when he stumbled out of the car. Dark, big glasses framed his face and his wild black hair was short on the sides and longer on the top, messily styled to the side. Rhett thought it was an interesting choice of clothing but somehow this man managed to pull it off. 

‘’Nice to meet you, Rhett, I’m Link,’’ the man said. Unlike the others he, didn’t come closer for a hug and to Rhett it was like he was pulling away from the handshake as soon as he could. The situation became awkward. Link was good looking: tall, with a nice physique as far as he could tell, but he seemed to be a lot different from Rhett. He knew Link would be one of the first ones to go home but he welcomed him to the mansion like everyone else regardless.

Rhett greeted the last four candidates and then it was time to film a short interview asking him what he thought about the contestants and whether someone had caught his eye in a special way. Rhett decided to remain a little mysterious and just said that there was definitely someone he had laid eyes on. At the moment he was thinking about Connor, the first one he had met, but there had been a couple of others he still thought about as well as, for some reason, Link. The one who stumbled. 

After filming the interview it was time to go to the cocktail party with the others. The doors to the mansion opened and he walked towards the sounds of speaking and laughing. He stepped into the room and everyone turned to look at him. They had drinks in their hands and soon he was handed a martini from a guy he remembered being named Bailey. He was a shorter man, a lot shorter than him, but he was cute and he had talked a lot more than the others when they had first met outside the mansion. This man was full of life and Rhett liked that. He imagined he wouldn’t get bored around him.

The party was immediately overwhelming with new people everywhere. It was a lot to keep up with; Rhett hoped it would get easier later on and not feel like he was on a freight train to something he wasn’t ready for. Sure, he wouldn’t have to propose to anyone, but that was kind of the idea of the show… So many gorgeous men to talk to. Interesting, short conversations here and there left Rhett wanting more. He guessed that was the point: a fast tempo to keep things interesting. A few of the men were not that social and they liked to stay in the back and just nod and listen to everyone else as observers. Rhett understood them, he almost wished he could do that too, as much a social person as he was. Then Rhett saw Link sliding through the crowd to talk to a guy whose name he didn't remember. Link’s plaid pants had caught his eye, Rhett really appreciated this fashion choice of wearing something different from the others. Rhett saw Link flash a smile and give a gentle nudge to the man's arm with his elbow. For a split second, it made Rhett wonder if he knew the other contestant already.

Rhett separated himself from the conversation with the others and got his eyes off Link to get his third drink from the bar. He didn’t necessarily need it but he noticed Connor was there and he wished he could exchange a few words with him alone. The guy had caught his eye in a most pleasant way. There were others he liked too, but Connor’s height was what made him stand out from the crowd. Rhett usually had to look down to make eye contact but with Connor, he didn’t need to. It felt almost weird. Rhett was still taller than him because of his hair, though.

Rhett hadn’t noticed how the time had flown by while he had been chatting with the others, so he only had a couple of minutes with Connor before he was informed that the night was coming to an end for him. The contestants would continue the party and then get to know the rest of the mansion and their rooms once Rhett was away.

Rhett was guided to stand in the right place for the cameras where there was a stand and a silver tray with one red rose on it. The first impression rose, as they called it. Rhett was glad that he knew to who he would give it to.  At the same time, this little cocktail party had become almost serious; there was a lot meaning behind giving the first rose. A first impression was something no one could change. It was important.

The contestants were standing in a half-circle in front of him. Rhett gave a short speech on his first impressions about the whole situation and then picked the rose up. He had been told to count to thirty in his mind before saying the name of the man he had chosen. His hands were sweating and he tried to make eye contact with everyone, letting them all know that they had been noticed by him. There were a few he hadn’t had a chance to talk to yet aside from a few words outside, but that would change soon. At the moment he was ready to go back to his place to think about all the events of the night.

He opened his mouth to say the name; everyone was waiting and the cameras were getting close-ups of him, the first big happening of the new season would soon be here.

Rhett didn’t even get to the first letter when someone started to cough. Not just a little cough but sounding like an  _ “I’m dying"  _ kind of cough. Rhett and everyone turned to look at the source of the noise only to see Link, the one in the colorful outfit who had stumbled while getting out of the car. He was now choking and coughing, his face turning bright red. The martini glass dropped from his hand, shattering on the floor. 

“He’s choking! Who can do the Heimlich thing?!” someone yelled. Rhett looked horrified. He dropped the rose, his instincts waking up and go help this man. Connor got there first and began to help Link as the others were just watching and clutching on to each other, hoping they wouldn’t be witnessing a death happening right in front of their eyes. Someone from the crew was calling paramedics. Nothing like this had ever happened during the show so everyone was in some kind of shock. 

Connor knew what he was doing and soon an olive flew out from Link’s mouth with a high arch, hitting Rhett right on the face. The situation seemed like it was directly from a cheap comedy and everyone would have probably laughed if they were viewing the situation from the other side of the lens. Now everyone was relieved, especially Link. 

“I hate olives. They’re evil,” he rasped out, making a few laughs from relief that he was truly okay. Rhett smiled too. He patted Link on the shoulder. 

“You scared all of us, man. You wanna go lay down or something?” Rhett spoke softly. Link didn’t seem to be embarrassed, he looked like he was still trying to figure out what had just happened.

“That would be the best idea" Connor agreed.

Link just nodded, still rubbing his throat. He turned to leave when Rhett got an idea and he acted on an impulse. “Hey, wait!” he exclaimed.

Link and the crew member escorting him turned to look. Rhett picked up the rose from the floor and came back to give it to Link. “I think you deserve this the most. No matter what, no one is going to forget you. You have made a quite of a big deal of yourself tonight. If you accept it, of course.” Rhett grinned and he swore he saw a hint of a smile on Link’s face too. It somehow made him feel warm on the inside.

“Funny. But, thanks.” Link smirked and with that, he and the crew member exited the room to find a place for Link to rest.

Meanwhile, the production team was having a heated conversation. The first impression rose should be given to someone Rhett fancied, not given to someone out of pity. Would they allow this to be the first episode or should they arrange the situation again, just without Link? If someone would notice him missing, it would raise questions and perhaps they would need to reveal the true story anyway. Rhett said he was fine with giving the rose to Link, but the matter wasn’t actually in his hands. Rhett didn’t mind too much, he just pointed out that now it wouldn’t be as authentic as it would have been in the first time. 

While the production team was contemplating Rhett went to Connor. “Great job. Is there anything you can’t do?” Rhett smiled but whispered quickly before Connor would be able to answer. “I was gonna give it to you. The rose I mean.” He knew he was already flirting with the man. He tried to hold himself back but sometimes the words just begged to get out and he couldn’t resist making an innuendo.

Connor’s smile was almost shy and Rhett loved how a big man like him could look as cute as he did at that very moment. ‘’I would’ve done the same thing. You did right by giving the rose to Link. And he’s a great guy anyway. I talked to him a bit at the bar before you came. I was the one to get him to try that martini. I said it was my favorite drink. He didn’t like it, but I could tell but he was being polite by not just rejecting it immediately. So the whole thing was kinda my fault.’’ Connor shrugged, he sounded like he was truly sorry about what had happened.

‘’It wasn’t your fault. How could you have known something like that could ever happen?’’ Rhett decided not to mention how he thought Link was accident prone guy anyway. The guy had nearly fallen onto his face right before him.

‘’Yeah,’’ Connor said quietly.

‘’Martini is my favorite drink too,’’ Rhett said casually.

‘’It feels fancy, doesn’t it?’’ Connor grinned at him.

‘’Yeah.’’ Rhett smiled back.

Before they could continue their little chat the director came to tell them that they were rearranging the first impression rose situation. It made Rhett roll his eyes and he tried to get out of it, but the producer told him the opening of the new season would be too dramatic for the romance-hungry audience with a scene like that. This was the first ever gay version of the show so there was already enough special attention directed to it because of that. They didn’t need near-death experience in the beginning. At some point, they could mention that Link was not there because of the incident but that they would n’t talk about Rhett giving the first rose to him.

It was reality for Rhett but a show to the audience. He worked in the entertainment business himself, so he understood the producer and didn’t want to argue with him about this. The show had just started, he wasn’t deeply connected with anyone yet.

He wasn’t nervous at all when they filmed the scene again. He just felt bad that Link wasn’t there for a reason which wasn’t his own fault. 

He said goodbyes to the rest of the contestants and headed outside to the limousine waiting for him. Immediately he loosened his tie and let himself relax on the seat. He sighed deeply. The next ten weeks would be busy.


	2. The First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The whole group of men go on a date with Rhett. Since Rhett played basketball during his school years they play basketball together. The overall winner will get time with Rhett and since the events of the previous chapter, Rhett gets a surprise date too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, many, many thanks to @killthenaughtyboy for being such an awesome beta!

Rhett thought he might have troubles getting to sleep, but once he got into bed he didn’t have to think about much of anything since sleep took him almost immediately. He woke up feeling ready for the next day, all the nervousness had left his body. He realized those men were there for him, they were interested in him and it made him feel good. He was getting his confidence back.

He got himself ready quickly. He, with help of the production team, had planned a group date for the day and then afterward he would go on a mystery one-on-one date with someone. A competition would be arranged for the contestants and the winner would get the date. That’s what Rhett thought anyway.

He got himself a quick breakfast and answered work-related emails while eating. Soon he got a call from the producer telling him he would be picked up in a few minutes for the day’s activities.

Because Rhett had been an avid basketball player during his school years he would be taking the contestants to a basketball court. Rhett wasn’t that athletic anymore, he normally just went to the gym to stay in shape and sometimes did pilates because of his bad back. Only Kyle, his best friend, knew about it and of course, joked about pilates being a ‘’woman’s sport.’’ Rhett had just rolled his eyes at him.

Rhett changed out of his pajamas into light grey sweatpants and a dark blue t-shirt, casual clothes more suitable for sports. He also grabbed himself a black hoodie, just in case. Outside his car was already waiting for him. He was eager to meet the people from last night again.

He was the first one at the basketball court, ready to meet the other guys. Chris, the host of the show, chatted with him for a little while the cameras were rolling. Rhett was glad he had gotten over his nervousness, now he just felt butterflies in his stomach.

He could hear the men chattering not so far away and he put a wider smile on his face. He nodded in the general direction of the contestants while Chris was explaining what they would be doing for the next couple of hours. The contestants were separated into four different teams and would compete against each other to win a dream date with Rhett.

Rhett felt an urge to join as he watched the games from the sidelines’ but instead he acted like a coach and gave advice to each team equally. He noticed some of the men were taking the game rather seriously while others didn’t seem to give it their all. There were a couple of guys he had not paid much attention to before but now that he saw their competitive sides in action, he was interested. Rhett was a competitive person so he liked that trait in others.

When the game seemed to be going well, Chris came to him and suggested he could go speak to the men who didn’t participate in the basketball game waiting over on the bench. Rhett wasn’t surprised to see Link and Bailey there. Bailey was so tiny he probably feared getting crushed by the others. When it came to Link, he wasn’t so sure, the guy was tall and seemed fit. He would ask him about it later, but first, he went to Bailey.

‘’Enjoying the game?’’ Rhett smiled.

‘’Sports aren’t my thing really. Bad memories from my school years. I was bullied the whole time and these kinds of things just bring back the memories.’’

‘’I’m very sorry to hear that.’’

‘’Don’t be. I’ve gotten past it. I’m just looking forward to some other activities.’’ Bailey gave Rhett a wink and a cute smile which made Rhett laugh.

Rhett noticed the freckles on Bailey’s face, he looked very young for his age. Rhett remembered him being thirty years old, but he could easily pass as twenty.

‘’There sure will be plenty of other activities I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Basketball isn’t my thing anymore but it was a big part of my life when I was younger and it was one of those things that made me feel like I fit in. I can imagine the situation being different though, if my teammates would’ve known of me being… gay.’’

‘’They didn’t know?’’

‘’No one did. I hardly admitted it to myself either. I grew up in Georgia.’’

‘’Oh… I see. But you turned out to be alright.’’ Bailey let out a heartfelt laugh. ‘’I’m originally from Ohio, moved to L.A to study and never left.’’

‘’I’m glad you made that choice,’’ Rhett smiled. ‘’Now, excuse me,’’ he said, and got up from the seat. He went to check the game, seeing the last minutes of the two last teams playing against each other. A lot of grunting and sweat was involved. Rhett didn’t want to avert his eyes, but he didn’t want Link to feel left out and went back to him.

‘’Hi.’’

‘’Hi,’’ Link replied with a quick smile.

‘’Recovered from yesterday? Is that why you chose not to play today?’’

‘’No, I’m fine. The only thing left from yesterday is the embarrassment. I have a bad shoulder, it’s just gotten better so I don’t want to mess it up again.’’ Link answered while looking at his toes.

‘’Well, that’s understandable.’’ It was then that Rhett noticed how wide Link’s shoulders actually were. Somehow he managed to make himself look small and dainty but he couldn’t ignore their width now. His loose t-shirt revealed toned, strong arms. Rhett didn’t know why he paid so much attention to them, when there was a lot going on where he should direct his attention instead. ‘’Uh, well, the game is about to end... I should…’’ Rhett pointed towards the court.

‘’Yeah, you do what you gotta,’’ Link replied.

Rhett got up and walked to the court, he looked back only to see Link looking back at him. He got a feeling inside that there was something he needed to know about this man but he didn’t knew what or why. He thought he was ready to send him home after the first rose ceremony but now he wasn’t sure anymore. Maybe it was because Link didn’t seem to be interested in him at all while the others were, at least on some level. He liked a challenge.

Rhett was a little disappointed Connor wasn’t on the winning team. All five members of the team who won would get some time with Rhett during the week and they would be safe from elimination before the date. Now the five winners would have the chance to win the ‘’best date’’ with him, which meant a romantic time together on a dinner date.

Rhett stepped onto the court and picked up a basketball. ‘’The first one to make a point in a one-on-one match with me will win  _ this _ !’’ Rhett announced while gesturing to his body with both hands, making the contestants laugh.

The first two rounds went by quickly and Rhett won easily. He felt triumphant in his victory. He knew he still had his old skills. Of course, he had played garage basketball with his friends a little during the years, it wasn’t much but he knew he would still be good.

When the third competitor stepped onto the court something distracted Rhett. He heard laughter coming from behind him. It wasn’t  just one person, a lot of men sounded like they were having fun and Rhett needed to see what was that funny. He turned to look but at the same time he heard the whistle indicating that the game had started. Rhett caught a glimpse of Link speaking to a group of other contestants, making them laugh. He had a loud voice but Rhett couldn’t make out what he was saying from that distance, but it was obviously something funny. Rhett hoped he would be able to see this side of Link too. He had only been awkward and quiet with him so far.

‘’Ha!’ he heard Rick say, bringing his concentration back to the game again. He noticed he didn’t have the ball anymore and Rick, the one who had stolen the ball, made a point right in front of his eyes.

‘’Oh, shoot. I got distracted!’’ Rhett tried to defend himself.

‘’Yeah, you totally let me win.’’ Rick winked and jogged off the court, letting another player in.

Rhett easily beat the last two men. None of the players had been men he was particularly interested in, but he would give Rick a shot. He was shorter than him, like they all were, and more of a body builder type. Not really Rhett’s taste, but he wasn’t bad either. He sure liked to look at his sweat-glistening neck and arms. He had brown eyes and short brown hair, a handsome guy if you liked the type.

Rhett won the last two matches so he would be going out with the body-builder guy. Rhett gave a quick ‘’see you later’’ to the rest of the crew and then he and Rick were led to a car which took them to a nice hotel downtown after each of them had a little time to themselves to change clothes and freshen up.

They explored the city a little, visiting a couple of smaller art museums before deciding to get tacos for dinner. Rick was a nice guy but Rhett didn’t see there being more than just friendship between them. He had a chance to give him a rose which would keep him in the competition but in the end, he decided not to. He explained it to Rick and he understood, he didn’t feel that ‘’chemistry’’ either. One was out of the game, 24 were still left.

The next morning Rhett got a call from the producer.

‘’So the thing is, we aren’t gonna use the footage of you giving the rose to Connor. We looked it back at it several times; it just doesn’t feel natural and viewers might ask too many questions why as to why Link isn’t there. As much of a disaster as it was, we’re gonna use that one. So since you gave the rose to Link, you’re gonna go on a little date with him.’’ The producer’s voice was almost monotone and it took a moment for Rhett to process the information.

‘’Oh, right. No date with Connor today then?’’

‘’Not today.’’

‘’That’s fine.’’

Rhett thought about how shocked Link must have been when he heard the news. They’d have been enjoying breakfast by the pool of the mansion when the letter arrived. No one probably expected to see Link’s name there.

Rhett was intrigued, now he would get to know if Link was truly interested of him or would it be like it was with Rick, they just wouldn’t make a match.

Rhett had planned a very nice date lasting the whole day. He had given Link instructions to wear something suitable for hiking and swimming trunks underneath.

~~~*~~~

Rhett had on light brown cargo shorts, a white t-shirt and hiking boots. He was waiting by the helicopter to meet Link again. The producers really liked to spend money to get some quality content. Soon a black SUV arrived and he saw Link jump out of the backseat. He had on dark grey shorts and a light green graphic t-shirt. From a distance he looked like he could be a college kid. As Link was walking closer he noticed he didn’t have his glasses on, just sunglasses hanging from the neck of his t-shirt. His hair was styled with lot less volume than usual. Rhett liked this look. It was cuter, more naturally handsome.

Rhett held his arms up to welcome Link and greeted him with a quick kiss on the cheek. The helicopter made a lot of noise so he didn’t bother to say much of anything as he helped Link hop in. Meanwhile he also got a nice view of Link’s butt bending over right in front of him. He couldn’t complain about the view.

He climbed in after and motioned for Link to put on the headphones so they could hear each other as well as the pilot and his assistant. They were to fly to Palm Canyon, a quick 30-minute flight from Los Angeles. Rhett had been there a couple of times before. It wasn’t too special of a place for him but it represented scenery which pleased his eye. Wild and beautiful in it’s own rugged way. Untrimmed, tall palm trees, rolling terrain, and natural rock formations. Sand and gravel crunching beneath his hiking boots and fresh air filling his senses. Rhett loved it all.

As they were in the air Rhett found himself looking at Link more than the spectacular view the unique ride offered. Link, on the other hand, was admiring the landscape spread before them.

_ ‘’Wow! I’ve never been in a helicopter, this is amazing!’’ _ His voice came through the headphones.

_ ‘’Everything looks beautiful from up here, doesn’t it?’’ _ Rhett said, still looking at Link. The t-shirt Link had on had a man riding a dinosaur on it. The shirt was a perfect fit to Link’s body,  a lot tighter than Rhett would wear himself, but the look suited Link well. The tiniest strip of bare skin between Link’s shorts and shirt drew Rhett’s attention more than was appropriate so he quickly turned his head away. He put on his sunglasses and looked outside as Link did the same. They didn’t speak much during the rest of the flight. The pilot commented now and then if there was something special to look at and Link’s face was almost glued to the window, his hands up against it, like a little kid would do. Rhett found it adorable.

When they finally landed and got away from the helicopter so they could hear and speak to each other normally, Rhett suddenly got nervous. They were nearly alone now, sure there were cameramen following them everywhere and there were other people, but they gave them their space so it felt like they were alone.

‘’That was really freaking cool!’’ Link said enthusiastically.

‘’I know, right? It’s not everyday life for me either but sometimes I get to experience the fancy stuff like this. I have a private jet too,’’ Rhett said with a wink, enjoying the glee on Link’s face. ‘’Okay, come on, let’s get some supplies and head to the desert. There’s a nice oasis there, you might have heard of it.’’ Rhett pointed to the direction of a house in front of them where they would get their supplies.

‘’I have. But I didn’t think you would have a house here.’’ Link eyed the modern, beautiful house with a huge pool in front of it.

‘’I’m just renting it for today,’’ Rhett shrugged and smiled.

‘’Oh, of course,’’ Link, looked away, biting his lip like he had just said something stupid. He took his sunglasses off and put them on his shirt collar where they had been before. The awkward silence followed them to the house where Rhett handed Link a backpack with things he might need for their trip, water and sunscreen mostly.

‘’Do you hike?’’ Rhett asked casually while throwing his own backpack on.

‘’I have a few times. I like mountain biking more.’’

‘’I haven’t tried that, it sounds cool though.’’ Rhett was happily surprised. Now there would be something to talk about instead climbing the hills in silence.

On the way to the oasis they talked about hobbies, they even seemed to share a few. They both were into camping and off-roading. As different as Link was from him, Rhett was happy to know they both shared a love of outdoor activities. He also learned that Link had moved to L.A. to study film after graduating from high school in North Carolina. His earlier years sounded much like Rhett’s had been. Link didn’t open up that much but Rhett could see why Link had moved away as soon as he could. For the same reasons he had. Rhett didn’t want to pressure him with too many questions since he knew what it was like to build a life on his own in a big city. There were a lot of similar life stories he had heard before and Rhett was sure there would be those in the competition too. He already knew about Bailey.

They arrived to the oasis and immediately Link froze in place. Rhett thought it was because of how beautiful the place looked, crystal clear water, huge palm trees everywhere. He was about to make a comment but then he saw the sign Link was looking at. It was a warning about rattlesnakes.

‘’Yeah, that’s a downside to this place,’’ Rhett nodded.

‘’It says there are gonna be lots of them. Man, with my luck, they’ll attack me.’’ Link sounded truly worried.

It probably wasn’t meant to be a joke but Rhett laughed anyway. ‘’I hate snakes too man, but we’ll be fine. Us moving around will scare them away and even if something happens we have a helicopter one call away.’’

‘’It’ll  still hurt if they bite.’’

‘’Can’t stand a little bit of pain?’’ Rhett couldn’t help himself, but the sentence came out sounding like an innuendo as he raised one eyebrow and grinned.

Link paused to study Rhett’s face. ‘’Not that kind of pain,’’ he said then and smirked.

‘’Oh?’’ Rhett was immediately more interested but before it could get too far he continued. ‘’Nothing bad will happen. Do you want me to carry you to the water?’’ He was being a little sarcastic but truthfully he wouldn’t mind carrying Link either.

‘’No, thank you.’’ Link rolled his eyes, smiling.

At that point, Rhett knew he would just love to tease this man all the time. He was an easy target because he responded to it. Rhett didn’t mean anything bad, it was more like flirting to him. He liked how Link’s temper came out instead of him being just quiet and awkward.

‘’I was just kidding. I couldn’t anyway.’’ He stopped being sarcastic and answered seriously but even he heard the sentence came out sounding a little wrong.

‘’Are you saying I’m heavy?’’ Link turned to look at him, wide-eyed, like he was ready to fight.

‘’No, no! I mean, my back. I’ve been having troubles with it all my life. You’re perfectly fine, your body looks good, I mean...’’ It was Rhett’s turn to be embarrassed now. He just couldn’t find the right words under Link’s intense gaze. It was new to him. No one around him had behaved like this before. Being under Link’s gaze Rhett also noticed Link’s eyes, how beautiful blue they were.

Link immediately softened. ‘’Oh, okay. Sorry, I just… never mind. Let’s go swimming then. You think that’s safe?’’

‘’It’s water, not poison,’’ Rhett said grinning. He just couldn’t help himself.

‘’Come on! I meant that it doesn’t look like you can get much deeper than belly level.’’ Link pushed him playfully. ‘’Are you always this annoying?’’

‘’Pretty much, yeah.’’ Rhett smiled. Now he saw Link wasn’t actually mad but he was smiling and looking at him like he was the biggest dork on the planet, which was probably true.

A noise coming from a cameraman moving behind them made Rhett self-conscious about the fact they were not alone again. He had promised himself he would try to contain himself and be a mysterious handsome man who had a lot to offer to a potential partner, but somehow by day two Link had managed to pull those guards down and now it was caught on film. That had never happened before, no one had an effect like that so soon after meeting him. Rhett didn’t know if it was good or a bad thing.

Rhett shook the thoughts out of his head and followed Link to the pool of water, today was meant to be fun, thinking could come later. He took off his shirt and watched Link do the same. He tried not to ogle too much, but Link’s slim figure was pleasing to watch. Narrow waist, a flat belly, a hint of chest hair, like it had been shaved of a couple of days ago, and well-defined arms which looked huge in contrast to rest of his body.

Rhett was expecting to see loose swimming shorts on Link, similar to the ones he had on, but when Link dropped his shorts he revealed a tight pair of mint green swimming trunks hanging low and cut just the top of his thigh, hugging his every curve in a very pleasant way.

Rhett had to jump in the water before he got caught staring. Link didn’t seem like the type who would choose that kind of swimwear, but then he remembered that it was probably given to him by the production team along with the hiking boots. The contestants didn’t have much clothes with them and one point of the show was that Rhett could give them nice things during dates. Not everyone would win, but at least they could leave with some nice presents.

He watched Link carefully, submerging himself in the water before swimming a couple of laps. The water was as warm as the air, so it felt like he was swimming in nothing. They splashed each other a couple of times and were just a little silly, Link swimming away when Rhett got closer and then giggling when Rhett caught him again. It would have felt more natural to be there if they couldn’t see the cameras around them and to Rhett it looked like Link was somewhat self-conscious being half naked on camera too, but both of them still had fun. Rhett felt comfortable with Link, he just hoped Link felt the same way.

Rhett decided to stop the swim short and hoisted himself up to sit on a rock and bathe in the sunlight instead. He heard water splash and then the sun was blocked by a shadow. When he opened his eyes he saw Link, dripping water on him. ‘’Don’t get a sunburn now, bachelor boy.’’ He grinned and then flicked his wet hair back from his forehead, his other hand resting on his cocked hip. Link standing in front of him like that, crotch not that far away from Rhett’s face, was a quite a sight.  _ Nothing to be ashamed of there,  _ Rhett thought to himself when he got a glimpse of Link’s front.

Link gave Rhett a wink and moved away. He grabbed his towel to pat himself dry before sitting down beside Rhett.

Rhett reached for his backpack to pull out the sunscreen. He applied it generously on his torso and arms. ‘’Could you?’’ He offered the bottle to Link and motioned to his back. Everyone would expect him to ask to do that anyway.

‘’Sure.’’ Link grabbed the bottle and squirted some of it into his hand. ‘’This will make great entertainment,’’ he muttered under his breath, but Rhett heard it clearly and it didn't make him feel good. He still questioned Link’s reasons for being here. Unlike the others he hadn’t mentioned Rhett’s looks or attractiveness and he didn’t look at him with heart-eyes like most of the others did. Rhett chose not to say anything. He just enjoyed the feeling of Link’s hands on his back. Maybe he was overthinking it all?

After he was done Link applied the lotion onto his own body and laid down on his towel, supporting his weight with his elbows. Rhett got into a similar position. Just when he had thought he would somehow get to know Link he had said that little thing,  _ ‘’This will make great entertainment’’ _ which messed with his mind. He didn’t say anything and Link started to speak.

‘’I shouldn’t even be here…’’ Link smirked quietly.

‘’What was that?’’ Rhett asked.

‘’Nothing… It’s just typical of me to mess things up, especially when it’s something important and now that I’m here and seeing you like this, it’s almost unreal.’’ Link’s voice was quiet, almost like a whisper. Like he was talking to himself mostly.

‘’Sorry but I have no idea what you’re saying,’’ Rhett smiled confusedly.

‘’Okay, I’m being honest here. I didn’t think I’d actually be interested in you. I had seen your pictures and heard about you many times. You know… I’m a cameraman. I’ve interviewed for a job at your company in the past, too. I never saw you though. Obviously, I didn’t get hired. So seeing you here now like this feels a little odd. Even when we first met, the accident-prone side of me activated immediately because you were so…’’ Link shut up quickly, like he was trying to find the right words, or  to not say anything more at all.

Rhett was more intrigued than ever. ‘’I was so..?’’ He wouldn’t let Link stop short.

Link looked around, still avoiding having to talk about it, but he gave in eventually. ‘’...Handsome.’’ Link said then. He looked at Rhett, a wide grin on his face. ‘’You looked gorgeous. I lost all my confidence.’’ Link looked up to the sky and closed his eyes. ‘’I become awkward around attractive people and I just can’t behave as calmly and organized as I usually do, you know?’’ He glanced at Rhett, keeping one eye closed, shielding it from the sun.

‘’Oh… Well, thank you.’’ Rhett felt heat rise on his cheeks, he had no idea Link would say something like that. During the day he had noticed how gorgeous Link himself was. Even now, with his hair wet, tanned body glistening, tiny swimming trunks not leaving much to the imagination, and his unbelievable blue eyes. Rhett hadn’t noticed Link’s eyes until today when the midday sunlight hit them, making them look bright and very innocent, yet intense. The little moment when Link had gotten mad he had noticed his eyes for the first time.

Rhett felt butterflies in his stomach. Link was still a mystery to him, he didn’t open up easily about his life and the way he talked was like he didn’t feel like he belonged there and it would be better if Rhett just let go of him and concentrated on the others. The day with him had given him a little something to cling to; there was physical attraction now. But he needed to know more, if Link didn’t want to stay, there would be no point to keep him there.

‘’Do you wanna stay?’’ Rhett asked directly. He could already imagine how the episode would dramatically cut to a commercial break after that question.

‘’Rhett, there’re many guys here. They all came for you. I think you’ll be able to make the decision on your own.’’

‘’But what about you? You signed up to be here too,’’ Rhett insisted.

‘’Sure did.’’ Link got up. He wiped the sand off his ass and Rhett couldn’t help but watch the procedure. He enjoyed how the tiny, round cheeks jiggled under Link’s hands sexily. His attempts to be subtle had not worked when he saw Link looking at him over his shoulder. Rhett quickly looked away, but from the corner of his eyes he could see Link flicking his hair and his lips curling up into a knowing smile. Rhett would need to get in the water again and try to cool himself off somehow. The man sure had a physique to admire. Rhett stood up too and went to Link. He needed to know. If Link would reject him now…

‘’Anyway, I had fun today. I hope you did too.’’ Rhett gently placed his hand on Link’s shoulder, making him look at him. Rhett knew the show was fast paced, he would need to make progress soon, with the contestants he was interested in. This wasn’t a normal life situation where he would end the date with a kiss to the cheek and if there were a next date he would go for a mouth to mouth kiss. He looked down to Link’s eyes. At first they looked surprised, then his gaze softened and he noticed Link’s lips parting slightly. He never thought his first kiss here would be with Link, but why not? He leaned down and ever so softly he brought his mouth close to Link’s, letting him close the gap if he wanted to. He didn’t need to wait long when Link’s lips touched his.

Rhett could  _ feel  _ the cameras zooming in on them even when they were far away. But soon he forgot they even existed when Link parted his lips more and moved them against Rhett’s, tasting and teasing. It was a short but sweet kiss, no tongue involved, but pleasant in every other way. It left Rhett wanting more.

Link’s hands were on his chest when they parted. Rhett hadn’t even noticed his hands had moved to Link’s waist. Slowly he let go of him and smiled and Link smiled back. He wished he could read Link better, now all he knew was that Link had enjoyed the kiss but that was it, who wouldn’t enjoy a nice kiss? ‘’Shall we go eat now?’’ Rhett murmured.

‘’Sounds great, I’m hungry.’’ Link turned away from him and picked up his t-shirt. Rhett got his final glance at his perky ass. He mentally slapped himself being like that, he knew he could behave better. Maybe he had too much sun? They both got dressed and then walked the short way to the house and up to the terrace where there was a meal prepared for them. Salad and fried chicken, nothing fancy like Rhett had requested, but there was something that made Rhett smile. In a separate little cup there were olives to add to the meal if desired.

‘’Look, it’s your enemy.’’ He chuckled.

It took a while for Link to understand what he had meant but then he saw the little green and black devils too. ‘’Still, so funny,’’ he said sarcastically.

They began eating, chatting a little about the day and their lives in general. Link seemed to be a genuinely nice guy but he still didn’t open up much about his past or anything else important. Rhett understood, he couldn’t ignore the cameras all the time either. Rhett noticed Link was setting all the cherry tomatoes aside. ‘’Are you allergic to those?’’

‘’No, I just don’t like them.’’ Link shrugged.

Rhett raised an eyebrow. ‘’Tomatoes? But they hardly taste like anything.’’

For the probably fiftieth time Link rolled his eyes that day. ‘’Heck yeah they do, bad.’’

Rhett just couldn’t let go of it. He had never heard someone didn’t like tomatoes, those sun-kissed little treats. ‘’I get that you don’t like olives, but tomatoes?’’

Link seemed to give up a little, ‘’I like cooked tomatoes, raw ones are just nasty.’’

‘’But what is it? Is it the texture?’’

‘’That too, it’s like biting into an eyeball.’’

‘’Have you eaten an eyeball?’’

‘’No! Who in their right mind would ever eat eyeballs? Eugh.’’ Link shook his head, clearly grossed out by the idea.

‘’I have,’’ Rhett answered calmly.

‘’What?’’ Link’s eyes widened.

Link’s reaction made Rhett laugh. ‘’To have that kind of reaction, I guess. It was for a show I did a while back. A couple of my employees ate jello with eyeballs in it and they dared me to eat some too. It was a good choice, that video has a few million views.’’ Rhett felt proud saying that.

‘’Are you kidding me?’’ Link’s jaw dropped.

‘’Nope, that’s the kind of thing we do.’’

‘’Eat nasty stuff?’’

‘’Yeah, well, not all the time and I don’t usually do it.’’

‘’I don’t think I would ever be able to do that, not even for that many views.’’

‘’Not many can. That could be entertaining too.’’

‘’Gagging on everything?’’

‘’I’d watch that.’’

Link seemed to ponder it for a moment, ‘’That could be pretty funny actually.’’ Link picked up a cherry tomato with his fork and placed it between his lips. ‘’Tell me how entertaining this is.’’

Rhett raised one eyebrow, challenging Link to really eat it. ‘’Okay.’’

Link pulled the fork out and rolled the tiny tomato between his lips. He swirled his tongue on it without signs of dropping it, making Rhett gulp visibly because of the sight. Link’s hooded, challenging eyes didn’t help watching the things he did with his mouth.  _ So skilful _ . One minute Link was hot, one minute cold. Rhett didn’t even know if Link did the thing with his tongue on purpose or not.

‘’Are you gonna eat that?’’ Rhett had to stop the act before another act would happen in his pants.

Link finally popped it into his mouth, cheeking it. ‘’I’m thinking about swallowing it whole,’’ Link mumbled.

‘’No, don’t. Can’t have you choking on something everyday.’’ Rhett’s eyes widened and the he grinned. Link’s eyebrows crinkled and it made Rhett chuckle. ‘’Come on, man. It can’t be that bad, just chew, chew, chew and swallow.’’ Rhett managed not to mention out loud that he had just asked Link to swallow on their first date.

Link nodded, agreeing. Rhett thought he saw a little something in Link’s eyes saying he had thought of the same thing too. ‘’That could get a lot of views too, for this show, me choking on something in every episode, I mean.’’ Link nodded towards the cameras. They had been told not to acknowledge the cameras at all and he knew that after today there would be a reminder of that.

‘’On  _ something _ , huh?’’ This time Rhett couldn’t keep it in.

Link’s eyes narrowed at first, then he laughed. ‘’You’re the worst.’’ He shook his head but then continued more seriously. ‘’Okay, here goes.’’ Link said and he chomped down the tomato as quickly as he could. Rhett laughed at how Link really couldn’t contain his hate for tomatoes and at some point he really looked like he was ready to spit it out.

‘’That was... dramatic,’’ Rhett commented. It had been the most random and pure moment he had seen in a while and it happened during filming. Either Link was a good actor or he really was weird… or in better words, an interesting person. Rhett thought he wouldn't get bored around him easily, but he also knew himself. If he hated everything it would get annoying eventually. He hoped that wasn’t the case. Rhett had dated one nitpicky guy in the past and well, it didn’t work out.

‘’Don’t you have any food you just can’t stand?’’ Link asked.

Rhett picked up the final pieces of his food onto his fork and answered before getting the last bite. ‘’Liver.’’

‘’Liver? Where on earth… Oh, nevermind. Your show I guess.’’ Link threw his hands in the air.

‘’Guessed right,’’ Rhett smiled.

The daylight was slowly fading as their personal waiter came to pick up the plates and soon he came back with the dessert and a silver plate with a red rose on it. Rhett had almost forgotten about that. He would need to give it to Link if he wanted him to stay in the competition. He hadn’t thought about being in this situation and he still had his hesitations towards the man. He had fun with him today but would it be enough to make up for their differences? He’d had fun dates in his life before and nothing came out of them but a shallow friendship. He had that feeling now too, that this would be a one time thing and there would be a much more suitable potential husband for him back in the mansion. His mind was telling him that Link just attracted him physically, otherwise he was too weird, on the other hand they had similar hobbies and a somewhat similar sense of humor.

Tomorrow he would need to say goodbye to five of the candidates he didn’t even get to spend time with. He hoped it would be easier than it sounded. After all, like him, they came here to find love and he would need to crush those dreams.

He picked up the rose from the tray as Link took a bite of the ice cream in front of him. Rhett fiddled with the rose in his hand, looking at Link. 

Link looked at him, like trying to read Rhett’s mind. He knew what the deal was too. Get the rose or go home. Link’s blue eyes were dimming along with the sun, a few wild strands of black hair fell onto his forehead. Some of the vanilla ice cream tricked from his lips to his chin and Rhett looked at the trail and the way Link licked it away.

‘’I’d like you to have this.’’ He said before he could think and offered the rose to Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what are your thoughts about the chapter 2? Scenes you liked the most? ;) <3


	3. The Art Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett finally gets his dream date with Connor, but does it go as planned? Later Rhett and all the contestants will have another group date at a modern art gallery. Link’s behavior is odd and it makes Rhett even more confused. Rhett suspects something is going on behind his back.

Rhett couldn’t believe he had given another rose to Link, the man he thought would be one of the first to be sent home. Now he had two roses while others had none. Maybe it was a mistake to keep him in the competition just to see who the guy really was?

But there was something. Something in the way Link moved, the way he held his body. Everything about him was controlled; he looked almost graceful until his clumsiness broke that image for the moment, but it didn’t take long for Link to get that grace back. The way he smiled and laughed made Rhett smile and laugh too. That was always a good feature in person, to be able to make others laugh. Link was unintentionally seeing him in a way no one else had, he saw Rhett’s true self. That’s what it felt like to Rhett. Not to speak of the kiss they had shared, Rhett just knew he wanted to feel those soft lips again. _Preferably not just on my mouth._ Rhett shook that thought out of his head quickly. He needed to concentrate on the game.

It was a new day and a new date. Of course he had chosen Connor, now that he finally had the option. He would be going horseback riding with him. Rhett had planned a couple of out of the country dates too but those would come later when there were less contestants. He wanted to take Connor on one of those big dates but he just couldn’t wait anymore. He needed to know if the connection he had felt at their first meeting was still there.

~~~*~~~

It never rains in Southern California, just like the song says. Except when it does.

At this point, Rhett was sure karma and life and the whole universe had something against him wanting to get to know Connor better, to have alone time with him. They had just gotten to the stables when the rain started pouring like Rhett had never seen while living in California. They ran for cover in the stables and watched how the cameramen outside tried to hurry their equipment back to their cars. One cameraman was inside the stables with them, still filming.

They decided to wait and see if the rain would stop soon, so they sat in the smelly stable just talking for an hour. The rain didn’t stop. Their horseback riding date was canceled as well as basically every other outdoor activity. They decided to skip to the next event which was a brunch in the private room of a nice restaurant.

Rhett liked that Connor never stopped smiling when things didn’t go as planned.  Connor’s eyes never left Rhett, even when he had to sit at the stable without anything to do while the crew tried to figure out if there was some other suitable activity for them. At quieter moments it had made Rhett blush. Suddenly he understood Link, who had mentioned becoming awkward around attractive people. Rhett was experiencing the same thing at some level. He mixed up words when he spoke with Connor and during the brunch he dropped his fork on the floor and almost knocked over his drink twice and.

The moments when Connor looked at his plate or took a sip of his drink gave Rhett a chance to look at him and admire his handsome facial features. Everything was perfect about him: his manners, his looks, and how nice he was. Connor was a person who everyone deserved as a partner. Rhett silently reminded himself that he had only known the man for a couple of days and no one was perfect, even when they looked liked it on the outside. He just hadn't seen Connor’s flaws yet. Unlike Link who was a picky eater and clumsy, had a kind of weird sense of humor, and dressed like a boy. There was nothing wrong with his looks, but he wasn’t the type anyone could fall for.

Rhett didn’t know why he was comparing the two men. They were nothing alike and it shouldn’t matter. Anyway, he shouldn’t be thinking of Link while he was on his date with Connor at all. But still he wondered if there was something on Connor’s plate that Link would move aside? Would he crinkle his nose when he noticed his steak was medium rare instead of medium? Would he be the one nearly knocking over the glass and dropping utensils instead of Rhett? Would it make Rhett smile and tease Link? Would he risk playing footsies under the table with him? With Connor he didn’t dare, maybe on the next date?

Rhett couldn’t keep the thoughts out of his head until Connor tapped him on the shoulder and leaned towards him. ‘’Earth calling.’’ He said, in a smooth, low voice. It definitely made Rhett snap out of his thoughts.

‘’I’m sorry. I just thought about how I wanted to go horseback riding with you.’’ He lied.

‘’We’ll have another chance, don’t worry about it. We’re here now.’’ Connor put his hand on the table, sliding it towards Rhett. He understood the gesture and put his hand on Connor’s, squeezing it lightly.

Brunch was coming to an end. Rhett had eaten way too much and felt like the top button of his jeans could pop off anytime. He laughed when Connor said the same thing he had thought out loud. Connor sure shared an appetite with him, he had probably eaten even more than Rhett. They moved their date to the roof terrace where soft music played in the background. It wasn’t raining anymore but the air still smelled like it. Rhett felt almost chilly and wrapped his arms around himself, wishing he had a jacket instead just a button-up.

‘’Wanna dance?’’ Connor put his hand on Rhett’s lower back. How could Rhett have said no even if he wanted to when those deep brown eyes were looking at him?

‘’Of course,’’ he smiled.

The soft jazz playing in the background was more for a sensual effect than something to dance to, but neither of them cared. They danced close to each other for a couple of songs. Connor’s hands felt warm on Rhett’s body and he wanted to kiss him, but like with the footsies he didn’t dare to, not just yet.

Rhett noticed that on one table there was the familiar silver plate with a single rose on it. He didn’t need to hesitate when he went to pick it up and give it to Connor. He definitely didn’t want this to be the first and last date with him.

~~~*~~~

Rhett came back from the date feeling wonderful. The date had started as a disaster but ended better than expected. Rhett just wished he would have been brave enough to kiss Connor like he had kissed Link. With Link it had been such an easy and natural thing to do. With Connor… Rhett couldn’t tell for sure why he had been so shy and decided not to. Now that he was alone at home again it suddenly felt weird to him. He had never been afraid to make the first move before.

Rhett didn’t get to be alone for long when the producer came to fetch him for another round of filming his comments about the date for the show. Just a couple of minutes of material took nearly two hours to shoot. Rhett was tired and all he wanted was to think about the upcoming events and the possible situations in which he could be kissing Connor, but Chris, the producer and the show’s host, didn’t let him go just yet. They wanted Rhett to watch as the second group date invitation arrived to the house. Rhett would need to pick a morning date for the next day and then afterwards they would all be going to an art gallery together.

Rhett wasn’t much of a painter himself but his best friend Kyle was, and he had dragged him to several museums and galleries along the years. Rhett had learned to appreciate art and he wanted his potential partner to have at least a little bit of interest towards it as well. After a tour of the modern art gallery they would be having an art class for the group. This time Rhett would be able to get more involved, unlike in the basketball game, he would be painting along with the others.

After filming Rhett’s segment the producer and a couple of assistants set up a viewing party for him to watch the letter arrive to the mansion. He watched how the large group of men gathered in the living room. He had a couple of candidates in mind for the morning date. He had noticed Lucas, one of the men Rhett would call cute rather than handsome, was a night owl and he remembered him saying he liked to party and have fun. He was loud and lively. Rhett sure enjoyed that but he wanted to know how this guy was in the mornings. The other option was Bailey. Rhett was comfortable around him and he was a sweetheart. It didn’t matter that he was way shorter than Rhett and everyone else in the mansion. The top of Bailey’s head barely reached Rhett’s chest.

Rhett enjoyed watching how enthusiastic the men were to get the letter. They picked Connor to open the letter since he had been with Rhett last. As he read the invitation out loud, Rhett observed everyone’s reactions. He found Bailey in the crowd first. He was sitting next to Link and they were talking to each other in hushed tones. Rhett felt something, he wanted to know what they were saying to each other. He turned to Chris.

‘’Are those two together a lot?’’ He pointed at Bailey and Link. They were literally sitting shoulder to shoulder and for some reason Rhett wanted to go sit between them.

‘’They spend a lot of time together, yes. They share a room,’’ Chris replied politely.

‘’Okay…’’ Rhett muttered. Next he found Lucas, which wasn’t a hard thing to do since he was the first one speculating on what they would be doing on the next group date. The letter had simply said to get ready for a sophisticated event which could end up being messy with no mentions of the art gallery or the upcoming art lesson. Lucas said maybe they would be going to a wine farm and get to make some wine too, messy if you use your feet to break the grapes. Rhett liked the idea. He hadn’t planned that but perhaps that would be a future date idea.

But again his eyes were drawn to Bailey and Link. He almost felt jealous of how carelessly the two were chatting and enjoying each other's company. Rhett wished he would be able to be there just hanging out with all of them. Link again was wearing a colorful graphic t-shirt and skinny jeans, flattering to his body. He also noticed Link wore a different kind of glasses, clear framed so he could see the shirt color matching his eyes. Bailey had trousers and a short sleeved button up with a red bowtie. Rhett liked that it made him look even cuter than before.

‘’I’m gonna pick Bailey,’’ Rhett said then. He knew he wanted to get to know this man better. If nothing else he felt like he could be great friends with him.

‘’It’s settled then. We’ll leave a note on his bed. You wanna watch him open the letter?’’ Chris asked.

‘’Yes, of course!’’ Rhett would take every chance to observe the candidates. After all, this show was for him to find a partner and he wanted to see and get to know them as much as he could.

Rhett watched the men wandering around the mansion, some of them preparing food, some of them chatting in bigger groups, and some of them going outside for a walk. When he saw footage from the other bedrooms he noticed there were three or even four beds per room.

‘’Who shares the room with Link and Bailey?’’ he asked suddenly.

‘’Oh, no one. It’s just the two of them. It’s the smallest bedroom in the mansion and putting a third bed in there would be too much. If they stay in the competition they can move into other rooms when there are fewer guys left,’’ the producer answered.

‘’Oh,’’ Rhett said, feeling his stomach twist. He hadn’t thought of it before but what if there were hookups in the house? He would need to let those men go immediately. He hoped it wouldn’t happen but he wouldn’t be able to stop it either.

‘’Don’t worry big guy, they’re here for you,’’ Chris comforted him.

‘’What about Connor? Who are his roommates?’’

‘’Hmm, wait, I’ll check… Oh yes, he is sharing a room with three other guys-’’ Chris was about to say their names but Rhett interrupted them when he saw Bailey finally heading towards his bedroom.

‘’It’s happening!’’ He forgot all the other feelings, now he was just excited to see Bailey’s reaction.

Rhett watched from the screen as Bailey entered his bedroom, soon noticing the white envelope on his bed. Bailey picked it up and looked over his shoulder before opening the letter slowly. He read it in silence and then Rhett heard him saying loudly: ‘’Oh my goodness!’’

Rhett smiled widely. That was the reaction he had wanted to see: Bailey being happy to be invited out on a date with him. Bailey basically ran out of the room. Rhett assumed he was going to inform the others.

‘’Link! Where are you, Link?’’ Bailey yelled until he found Link. Rhett watched as he shoved the letter into Link’s hands. There was some discussion but it wasn’t clear enough to make out the words. Bailey hugged Link and dragged him to their shared bedroom. Bailey started to show Link all of his clothes, clearly asking for his help picking an outfit out for the next day.

Rhett felt excited. He was looking forward to the date. He decided to stop watching the two friends from the screen and let them be. It had been a long day and Rhett was ready to get some rest.

~~~*~~~

It was barely 7 A.M. when Rhett was standing on the balcony of his apartment in the heart of Los Angeles. This was his second home he used often, it was smaller than the house he had in the hills so it felt less empty. In the apartment he could be surrounded by people when he wasn’t working so he didn’t feel so lonely. He was fortunate to have all of this. But unfortunate not to have someone to share it all with. He had friends and family but it wasn’t the same. He had always craved having someone beside him, someone he could come home to. He didn’t want to end up being an old rich guy living in his mansion alone, becoming bitter and distant from everyday life. He wanted a family. The older he grew the more important it became to him.

The crew and Rhett had organized a gorgeous breakfast table at his balcony as he waited for Bailey to appear. Rhett was dressed casually, light wash jeans and a white t-shirt with a little v-neck.

He heard the doorbell and went to open the door, Bailey was standing there, smiling shyly at him. Rhett liked that Bailey looked fresh and well-slept. He wasn’t necessarily a morning person but he woke up early everyday to go the gym before getting to work. He would like to have someone with similar morning routines.

He greeted Bailey with a kiss on the cheek. He had to lean down a lot which was amusing. He thought of them being a couple and walking around the city, from a distance some people might think Bailey was his child, he was that short. To Rhett, that didn’t matter, physical appearance wasn’t the most important thing and besides, Bailey was cute.

‘’Right this way,’’ Rhett said and put his hand on Bailey’s upper back to guide him to the balcony.

‘’Woah, you can see the whole city from here!’’ Bailey admired the view of downtown.

‘’Almost,’’ Rhett smiled.

Together they sat at the breakfast table and made small talk. Rhett loved how easy it was to talk with Bailey, the man didn’t hold back and talked about everything from their breakfast to his own life. Rhett could get used to that. He needed someone like Bailey, happy, talkative, nice… He was the type of guy who would get along with everyone.

Time flew by with the conversation and Rhett noticed they had been there for almost two hours, just talking and eating. A perfect morning. There was no doubt, he gave the rose to Bailey. He definitely wanted to spend some more time with him. Bailey’s smile grew even wider when he held the rose. Rhett thought he looked adorable holding the rose tightly against his chest.

Even though Rhett enjoyed his time with Bailey he was tempted to ask him about Link. What was it like to spend a whole day with him? What were his habits before going to bed. Did they talk a lot or was Link quiet? Rhett held himself back. It would be a little weird to ask Bailey about another contestant and Bailey might also think Rhett wasn’t interested in him.

Rhett got up from the table and offered his hand to Bailey. ‘’Okay, Bailey, ready to join the others?’’

‘’Do we have to?’’ Bailey flirted and took Rhett’s hand.

‘’I’m afraid so,’’ Rhett smiled apologetically.

~~~*~~~

Rhett got out of the car and went to open Bailey’s door. Together they walked into the modern art gallery where the others were already waiting for them. Bailey was basically glued to his side before he saw Link in the crowd. Rhett saw how enthusiastically Bailey waved at him and Link waved back just one time, trying not to draw too much attention.

Chris had already told the others what the activity was for the day and they were roaming the gallery in pairs or small groups. Rhett felt funny thinking that all the people in the gallery were there for just him and he wasn’t even the artist.

He went to chat with men he had not talked to much before. He would need to end the day with fifteen men leaving the competition. He wanted to make sure he knew everyone, at least on some level. He hated that there wasn’t much time, but those who he liked the best he took aside to talk about their lives to see if they had any similar interests.

There were a couple of surprises: some he had not paid much attention to at all and were now catching his eye in a new way. Maybe it was the environment? The basketball court had been fun but hardly relaxing, now he saw the men as people, not just contestants. When he had made a full tour of the gallery he wanted to go to talk with Link before Chris would guide them to the other activity, an art lesson in the back room of the gallery.

‘’Hey,’’ Rhett said quietly behind Link.

Link turned around quickly, like he had been startled a little. ‘’Hey…’’ Link said back and leered around.

‘’I just-’’ Rhett started but was cut off by Link quickly.

‘’Came to see if you still wanted to keep me in the competition?’’ Link’s voice was cold and quiet.

‘’What? No, I mean… no. I just wanted to ask how you were doing.’’ Rhett was taken aback. He hadn’t seen Link like this before.

‘’I’m fine,’’ Link said and turned around again.

Rhett was frustrated, he hadn’t done anything wrong, so why Link was treating him like this? He was about to say something but at the same second Chris asked for everyone’s attention.

Rhett needed to talk to Link before the first rose ceremony. He decided he would do so after the art class.

Everyone stepped into the small classroom. Easels were placed to form a circle in the middle of which was a fruit arrangement. Everyone took their places. Bailey sat on Rhett’s left side and Connor on his right, he noticed Link taking the place on the other side of Connor.

The teacher talked about what they would be doing and what would be the best way to start for the beginners. She talked about oil colors and how to use them, how to mix them together with a painting knife and how to paint with the knife itself if someone didn’t want to use brushes. Rhett remembered Kyle’s lectures about painting so he didn’t pay much attention to the teacher’s talk and instead observed the others. Some men seemed nervous or even uncomfortable, some of them were happy to try something new. Some of them had picked out colors and the other equipment they would need and were already making some strokes on the canvas.

Rhett went to pick out paints with the others. It was amusing to watch how some had no clue what they were doing and others just went ahead and put basically every color on their palette. Rhett noted that of course Connor seemed to look like he knew what he was doing. He was already mixing the paints on the palette to make colors he wanted. While he was looking at him, Rhett went for the green paint but grabbed someone’s hand instead. He didn’t take his hand away immediately but looked at who he had caught. He had almost guessed it: it was Link.

‘’Oops, sorry. Go ahead,’’ Rhett smiled and then let go of Link’s hand.

‘’Thanks, you could watch what you do instead of blindly grabbing at things, though,’’ Link murmured and got the color he wanted.

‘’Oh?’’ Rhett raised an eyebrow at him. Rhett truly didn’t know if the comment was meant to be mean or if it was just one of Link’s quirks he didn’t quite yet understand. He was hot and then cold. He had kissed the man and Link had returned it, they had shared a wonderful day together and now Link seemed to act like it never happened. _Maybe he’s jealous?_

‘’Nothing,’’ Link shrugged and after he had squirted the green paint on his palette he gave the tube to Rhett. He returned back to his easel with his painting gear.

Rhett was puzzled. He hadn’t done anything bad or wrong. He had just grabbed Link’s hand while watching Connor. Once again Rhett felt the cameras on him, capturing his inner debate. The last thing he wanted was to hurt anyone, but in this show it was quite an impossible task.

Rhett got the green paint on his palette too and went back to his place beside Connor. He glanced at Link’s canvas over Connor’s and already saw a few convincing strokes there. It made Rhett wonder if Link had done this before. Rhett himself didn’t even know where to start. Should he start with the fruits or paint the plate they were on? He mixed a few colors on the palette and he noticed one of the colors was the same as the red roses. He had an idea.

He began smiling to himself, congratulating himself on the brilliant idea. He got so much into painting he didn’t notice the chattering beside him until he heard Link say loudly, ‘’Hey!’’

Rhett looked up. He saw Link going after Connor with a paint brush, trying to hit him with paint while Connor laughed and dodged expertly. Rhett had no idea what was going on and before he could react he heard Bailey’s voice exclaim ‘’Paint fight!’’ The next thing he knew Bailey was splashing bright blue from his palette onto Rhett’s white jacket.

It took just a second for Rhett to respond. ‘’ _Oh really_?’’ He said and smeared the color from his brush onto Bailey’s jacket. After that, everyone joined.

Laughter and screams echoed in the classroom as the huge group of adult men chased each other with paint brushes and palettes, everyone trying to get a mark on each other. Rhett didn’t even remember the last time he had so much fun. He knew they were all being childish but so what? Life was too short to take seriously. He was and would always be young at heart.

Link’s giggles reached his ears and he realized he had not yet gotten any of his own paint on him. He swirled the brush in the first color it hit and located Link. He noted how much he liked Link’s high pitched giggles, his face red and cheeks puffy. All of their jackets were far from being clean, but seemed like Link had gotten the biggest hits of paint.

Everyone was still laughing as the paint fight died down. Rhett sneaked up to Link who saw he was coming toward him. Link moved and Rhett missed the first time. ‘’I’m gonna get ya!’’ Rhett laughed and went in again. It continued for a moment until Link slipped on the paint on the floor, nearly falling. Rhett’s brush grazed Link’s hair and with that the ‘’fight’’ was over. He hadn’t gotten a perfect stroke on Link’s jacket but he had touched him with his brush so it was enough.

Their art teacher had given up and he wasn’t in the room anymore. It didn’t matter much, they had their fun in their own way.

‘’Well, this was actually fun, even though you almost hit me in the eyeball,’’ Link said wryly. He didn’t seem so cold anymore and actually gave Rhett a little lopsided smile.

Just then Rhett noticed what he had done. There was one wide stripe of grey in Link’s hair. He smiled widely. ‘’I wasn’t even near your eyeball, man,’’ he answered. ‘’And besides, that suits you,’’ he pointed at the streak in Link’s hair.

Link looked at his reflection in the window and touched the stripe. ‘’Dang it, I hope this stuff comes out easily.’’

‘’I’ll show you where the bathroom is,’’ Rhett grinned. He gently put his hand on Link’s upper back and guided him out of the room towards the bathroom area. Rhett hated how the cameras followed them but there was nothing he could do about it.

He escorted Link to the bathroom door. ‘’I’m sure you can get it out,’’ Rhett said.

Link turned around, facing him. His eyes were wide and beautiful and Rhett saw how his lips parted. Before he knew it, Link’s arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. Rhett happily responded to it. Link’s lips were just as soft as he had remembered. Their lips massaged each other gently, the tip of Link’s tongue teasing Rhett’s. He pulled Link closer, pressing their messy clothes against each other and deepened the kiss. Link’s hand combed the back of Rhett’s hair and Rhett’s hand’s traveled lower on Link’s body, stopping at his lower back.

Then suddenly, Link pushed him away by his shoulders, looking at Rhett, an almost surprised look on his face. He turned around and quickly went into the bathroom, nearly slamming the door behind himself, leaving Rhett completely dumbfounded.

Rhett stared at the closed door for a moment and then looked into one camera behind him, making sure they had seen what he had just experienced. The producer gave him a thumbs up and Rhett gave him an awkward smile back.

_What just happened?_ Rhett thought to himself. He wanted to follow Link to the bathroom and have a talk but the producer motioned for him to go back to the art class with the others. Rhett decided to talk with Link later. He collected himself quickly and went back to the art room and saw everyone had gathered around his painting. _Oh, right, that thing._

The contestants were whispering to each other, trying to figure out the meaning of Rhett’s painting.. Rhett hadn’t really thought it through. He had been thinking about giving it to someone but the color fight had drawn his attention elsewhere and now that moment with Link had messed his head up even more.

Rhett was happy to hear Chris’ voice saving him from the situation. ‘’Okay, Rhett. Time to take a look at the paintings and choose the winner.’’ He came to tap Rhett on the shoulder and then he looked at the contestants. ‘’The winner will get a luxury spa treatment tonight and they can choose another contestant to share it with.’’

Rhett smiled and nodded. He liked being pampered at spas so this kind of gift was coming from his heart. He hoped he would pick someone who would love it, but on the other hand, who wouldn’t like that kind of gift?

‘’Let’s take a look at what y’all have painted then!’’ He said and started to go around the circle. None of the paintings were finished for obvious reasons, but he saw some works that really impressed him. When he had come the full circle he saw Connor’s and Link’s paintings. Connor’s was the best, and he wasn’t thinking that just because he fancied him. He wondered if there were anything Connor wasn’t good at?

He wanted to pick someone else but he also felt he kind of owed something to Connor since their date hadn’t been that successful. He could always pamper the others later. He pointed at Connor’s painting. ‘’This has to be the winner.’’ He said. He saw some of the contestants he had not paid lot of attention to glaring at Connor in envy.

Connor came to hug and thank him. At the same time he heard Link coming back to the room. Rhett cursed silently in his mind that he should have waited a little longer so that everyone would have been in the room when he announced the winner.

He glanced at Link and saw he had almost gotten all of the grey out his hair but it was still slightly visible in his otherwise pitch black hair.

He let go of Connor and asked, ‘’So, have you decided who you wanna take to the spa with you?’’

‘’I think I have, Rhett. This whole fight thing was all my fault and Link took the biggest hit,’’ Connor turned around to look at Link. ‘’So, I think he deserves it after today. If you want to come with me?’’ He asked Link.

Link looked a little confused at first but then seemed like he remembered the prize. ‘’Oh, yes, of course!’’ he smiled widely.

Rhett felt like the earth stopped spinning for a second and everything froze. _Connor and Link?_ Was Connor interested in Link? Was Link interested in Connor? Is that why Link had behaved so oddly? But why had he kissed Rhett then? This time Rhett knew what he felt. It was jealousy. But he didn’t know who it was because of, Connor or Link?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on chapter 3? Like it so far? Thoughts on OCs? :) Anyway, I hope you're enjoying reading this!<3


	4. The First Rose Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the first rose ceremony, Rhett will need to let go of many of the contestants, there are only 15 roses to give and 25 competitors. That’s for sure but the night still has a surprise for Rhett.

Rhett knew he was being childish but he couldn’t help it. He was supposed to be the one they were there for but now he felt like that wasn’t the case. Everyone there wanted a partner, he wasn’t the only one. There were challenges with this show format. In the gay version the contestants might fall for each other and Rhett would be left alone again. He regretted his decision to join at all.

He still had the power to drop the contestants he didn’t like but it would be weird to drop Connor or Link since he had given roses to them on their private dates. He had to collect himself and swallow any potential jealousy he felt.

‘’Great, that’s settled then,’’ Rhett said and forced a smile to Connor and Link.

Connor grabbed Link for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. Rhett had to look away, otherwise he might have wanted to separate the two forcefully. That was a scene he definitely didn’t want to create. Rhett quickly concentrated on the other men as they were still swarming around his painting. It was understandable, Rhett had not painted the fruit arrangement they were supposed to, but had painted a red rose.

Rhett wanted to give his painting to someone as an invitation for a date. He hadn’t discussed it with the producer but he was sure it wouldn’t be a problem.

‘’Thank you, everyone, for this day, I hope everyone had fun. I’ll meet you all later at the first rose ceremony.’’ Rhett looked in the general direction of the contestants before Chris escorted him out of the room and to his car. Rhett was actually glad he could escape the situation like that. He told Chris about the idea he had with the painting, he would give it to someone at the ceremony as an indicator for a date. Chris nodded and Rhett entered his car.

He leaned back into the seat and wiped his face with his hands. The day had started great with Bailey and the kiss with Link had made his heart flutter. Link had looked cute with the grey stripe in his hair, his eyes shining brightly, and the next thing Rhett felt was the softness of Link’s lips against his own. Link felt good in his hands, he liked to hold him and he definitely liked to kiss him. But everytime he looked at Connor, Rhett felt like he was a teenager with an awkward crush. The tall man made him feel light. But his mind always drifted back to Link; the man was a mystery to him. He seemed to be open with the others but with him he didn’t talk about his feelings. Rhett needed to know what Link truly felt towards him.

~~~*~~~

Rhett had had a few hours to rest before going back to the mansion. He felt kind of sad that he would let go of some of the contestants he had not spent much time with, but he also knew that if he didn’t feel like he wanted to spend time with them, he shouldn’t keep them in the competition anyway. He was pretty sure he knew which ones he would let go, there were only a couple he wasn't sure of. He would make the decision at the ceremony.

When the ceremony was only one hour away there was a knock on his door. It was his assistants who helped to get him ready for the night’s big event. Rhett put on one of his best suits, navy blue with a black and white striped tie against a black button-up shirt. It was one of his favorite suits but he didn’t use it often at all, he was pretty sure he had only worn it once for Kyle’s wedding. Rhett thought this night would be that special.

The assistants made sure his hair looked good and his beard was neatly trimmed before they left. Rhett was a little nervous but not too much, his hands were not sweating, at least not yet. He had calmed down since he had last seen Connor and Link. He was okay now, of course there would be friendships forming in the house and Rhett should be happy about it, not get childishly jealous, he was better than that.

When he got out of the car the producer was there to meet him. He told Rhett that his painting was in the ceremony room and he could decide to who he would like to give it to during the cocktail party. Rhett nodded and entered the mansion. The last time he had heard joyful chattering but this time it was silent. As he walked through the hall he saw a crew member point him towards the main living room. The door frame was covered with a curtain and Rhett pushed it aside as he entered the room. He saw his painting sitting on an easel under a veil. The contestants formed a half circle of two rows in the back of the room. Link was in the centre of the front row, holding the rose Rhett had given him during their date. On either of his sides were Connor and Bailey, each holding a rose too.

The three of them looked good. Connor in his black suit and yellow shirt with the top button left open, Link in a stunning burgundy suit and black shirt, his hair neatly styled. He looked as handsome as ever. Bailey wore a grey suit and of course, a polka dot bow tie. All three of them were very different from each other but still bound together by the situation.

Rhett took a step forward and stood behind a tray of roses. He was waiting for the producer’s signal for him to begin. Chris had already told him there were only seven roses on the silver tray and a lot of the contestants would be going home. Rhett saw a lot of nervous faces in front of him. It really did feel bad to let over half of them go.

He called their names one by one, everyone flashing their biggest smiles as they heard Rhett say their names, but when there was only one rose left on the plate he saw more disappointed faces than happy ones. Lucas, usually the loudest one, was looking away. To Rhett it looked like he was almost holding back tears and he was fanning his face with his hands. Rhett hadn’t made a solid decision about the last rose but now he was sure he would give it to Lucas. He was handsome, not Rhett’s usual type, but he wanted to give him a chance. He could be a lot different than he was used to and maybe that’s what Rhett needed.

‘’Lucas,’’ Rhett said then and took the final rose from the tray.

Lucas looked shocked and everyone turned to look at him as he pretty much jumped from his place and hurried to Rhett. His big brown eyes glistened with tears when he stood in front of Rhett.

‘’Will you accept this rose?’’ Rhett asked softly.

‘’Yes, yes! Of course, thank you!’’ Lucas nearly yelled and bounced with joy.

_ ‘’What a phoney…’’  _ Rhett heard someone whisper. He looked around but couldn’t locate the source, all he knew was some other contestant had said it. Rhett frowned, he wanted to know why someone would say something like that.

When Lucas returned to his place the others came to give their quick goodbyes to Rhett. He would not be seeing these fifteen men again and it felt a little sad no matter how much Rhett convinced himself that they were practically strangers; none of them had made him feel something. But deep down he felt like those men were like him: lonely, wanting someone to share their lives with. Rhett just had to accept the fact that he wasn’t that person for them.

After the eliminated contestants had left, Rhett looked at the smaller crowd in front of him, everyone holding their roses and looking at him. He went amongst them and gave them hugs and told them to have fun, the cocktail party had begun. Rhett went to order a drink from the bar and before anyone else caught him, he went to Link. He needed to talk to him.

Link was currently talking with Bailey, which wasn’t surprising, and Rhett went to tap him on the shoulder. Link turned around. ‘’Could you meet me outside?’’ Rhett asked.

‘’Sure,’’ Link said. He turned quickly to Bailey, making a face at him which Rhett couldn’t see and Bailey made a motion with his hand, telling him he should just go.

Rhett felt everyone’s eyes on them as he walked out to the balcony with Link. He knew there were the cameras there too and he wished so much he could have talked to Link without them watching, but it wasn’t an option.

Rhett swirled the whiskey in his glass and leaned on the railing. He looked up to the sky to see the stars. ‘’It’s a beautiful night,’’ he said quietly.

‘’It is.’’ Link leaned on the railing too and looked up. Rhett felt him tense up. Link’s voice was tight and his body was stiff.

Rhett tried to find the right words to start the conversation. He took a sip of his drink first.

‘’How does it feel?’’ Link asked then.

‘’Hmm?’’ Rhett turned to look at him while Link was still admiring the starry sky.

‘’To have so much power. You sent home fifteen men because you didn’t fancy them.’’ Link continued and with the last word he turned to look Rhett in the eyes.

‘’Oh, it’s the nature of the show. It didn’t feel great.’’ Rhett said with a tone barely audible.

‘’You’re telling me it doesn’t feel good to have all these men here for you and only you have the power to choose the ones you like?’’ Link tilted his head to the side but still kept his eyes on Rhett.

‘’Why are you here if you think I’m some kind of jerk, that I came here just to have the attention of all these gorgeous men? You know how this works, right? And what happened yesterday? Sometimes you act like you pretty much hate me and in the next minute you’re kissing me. I can’t figure you out.’’ Rhett stood up and slowly approached Link, looking into his eyes, waiting for his answer.

‘’I knew I liked you, the very first time I met you.’’ Link replied, now looking away from Rhett.

Rhett was taken aback, he had not expected that kind of answer at all. Was it even an answer? ‘’Oh… but… oh… That really doesn’t answer- So you like me?’’

‘’Too much… and I hate myself for it,’’ Link said and took a step back when Rhett took one forward.

‘’But why?’’

Link just shook his head, he clearly didn’t want to talk about it but that only made Rhett want more information.

‘’Look, just don’t... There are plenty of good men inside,’’ Link gestured at the balcony door. ‘’And I’m just… I’m nobody. I shouldn’t be here.’’ Link muttered, clearly getting upset.

‘’Link, what? I don’t understand,’’ Rhett put his glass on the railing and went to Link, grabbing him by his shoulder and looking into his eyes which were dark blue in the night, stars reflecting from the teary surface.

_ ‘’I’m sorry,’’  _ Link mouthed.

‘’You have nothing to be sorry about… I’m happy that you’re here. You.. intrigue me.’’ Rhett said, meaning every word more than ever.

Link wiped his eyes dry quickly with the back of his hand and took a step closer to Rhett. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned his head on Rhett’s chest, letting Rhett wrap his arms around him. Rhett happily did so and held the brunet in his arms. Again it felt like he belonged there. He kissed the top of Link’s head, he was just the right height to do that.

‘’I want to stay but maybe it’s better that I don’t…’’ Link muttered into Rhett’s suit.

‘’If you could just tell me… explain to me. I just want to understand.’’ Rhett put his hands on Link’s shoulders, pushing him back a little so he could look into his eyes once again.

Link shook his head and quickly glanced at the closest camera on the other end of the big balcony. Rhett understood it was something he couldn’t say in front of the crew. It made him frown, he had been suspicious before because of the few things Link had said about him being there but now there was more to be suspicious about. Had the crew specifically put Link there? Did it mean Link had not applied to be a husband candidate himself? Rhett was confused and he wanted to know the truth but he knew he couldn’t ask about it now. Who could he trust anyway? Should he ask from the producer, would he know something? Maybe Link’s background was shady and they would kick them out if he knew.

But looking into Link’s eyes and seeing how sincere he looked and how his eyebrows wrinkled in a cute way when he was worried, Rhett knew he couldn’t let Link go yet. Not unless he really did ask to leave.

Rhett was so lost in his eyes that he startled a little when Link’s hand came up to stroke the side of his beard, but soon he leaned into the touch. He liked how Link’s long fingers brushed his beard and then wrapped around the side of his neck before sliding down onto his shoulder. Rhett pulled him in for a slow, tender kiss. He closed his eyes and it felt like they were alone in the world. He tasted peanut butter and hint of alcohol on Link’s lips and tongue. Link’s hands were roaming over his back, grabbing and pulling at his suit jacket. Rhett slipped the three buttons of Link’s burgundy jacket open and he slid his hands to his waist and over to the small of Link’s back, thumbs teasing the waistband of his pants. He heard the faintest moan escape from Link’s lips and the next thing he felt was Link nibbling his bottom lip with his teeth. Rhett spun both of them so Link was pressed against the railing, Rhett gently rubbing his leg between Link’s. His hand roamed up and down on the buttons of Link’s shirt, wanting to pop all of them open so he could lean down and kiss the hot flesh underneath the thin fabric.

‘’ _ Oh, shit _ , Rhett… woah...’’ Link whispered.

When Rhett pulled away a little, he saw Link’s flustered face and lust filled eyes. Rhett thought he probably looked the same. He was about to kiss Link again when he heard someone clear their throat behind them. Rhett quickly stood up and straightened his clothes as Link did the same. He turned around and saw the balcony door wide open. Bailey was standing there with everyone else behind him.

Link hurried past Rhett and through the crowd back inside. Rhett was left there standing dumbfounded, again.

‘’Sorry… I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just… the painting…’’ Bailey stuttered.

Rhett knew his cheeks were glowing bright red from getting caught in front of everyone like that. He wanted to run after Link, the glimpse he had seen of him when he had brushed past him indicated he was panicking.

‘’It’s okay, it…’’ Rhett couldn’t finish the sentence.

‘’Okay, everybody, let’s go inside,’’ Chris came to save the situation. Rhett was truly thankful for him.

‘’I’ll go see where Link went,’’ Bailey informed them quietly and went the direction Link had gone.

As Rhett was walking back inside, more confused than ever, Lucas came to walk beside him.  ‘’Honey, I know it’s the nature of this show, I’ve seen all the other seasons and all the bachelors and bachelorettes make out with basically everyone. You need to test whether they’re any good or not! So kiss Link as much as you want but leave me some of that sugar too!’’ Lucas laughed and nudged Rhett’s arm playfully.

Rhett smiled politely. ‘’I’ll keep that in mind.’’

‘’I mean it, handsome! Sure, Link is gorgeous as fuck with that dreamy look of his but you need to test the other options as well,’’ Lucas winked, not being subtle about it.

Rhett chuckled. He had met guys like Lucas before, but had never dated one. If he hadn’t just kissed Link he might have given Lucas a little taste of himself, but now he wanted to keep that lingering taste of Link on his lips.

The cocktail party continued awkwardly. He made small talk with the others but all of them were more or less annoyed that Link had gotten so much attention. A couple of the contestants were coming onto Rhett hard, trying to make him kiss them in front of everyone too. Rhett felt like he was sweating from every pore he had. His tie felt like it was strangling him and he just wanted to get out, but the night wasn’t over yet.

Luckily Connor came to save him. He pulled Rhett away from the hungry guys and dragged him to the bar, ordering a glass of water for him.

‘’Can’t blame you, you know.’’ Connor started.

Rhett took a big gulp of water and then looked at Connor, tilting his head to the side.

‘’Link is a sweet man,’’ Connor smiled and tapped Rhett on the shoulder.

Rhett just nodded as an answer.

‘’But I can’t help being a little jealous. If I can say that,’’ Connor took a sip of his martini.

‘’Oh?’’ Rhett managed.

‘’Mmhhmm,’’ Connor hummed and then nodded towards the staircase. ‘’He’s back.’’

Rhett turned and saw Link walking down the stairs with Bailey. Rhett made a brief moment of eye contact with Link. He seemed to be avoiding his gaze as he turned to look elsewhere as soon as their eyes met.

Link and Bailey came to the bar. Rhett could hear some disapproving snorts of jealousy coming from the other men as they saw Link.

Connor was a gentleman and left the two of them alone. He went to Bailey and guided him away.

‘’Is everything alright?’’ Rhett asked in a hushed tone.

‘’Yeah… it’s just been a long night.’’ He made a hand signal to the bartender to get him a drink and soon there was a glass of red wine in front of him.

‘’I agree with that… But… will you be there tomorrow? At the spa?’’ Rhett was worried Link would leave during the night, as the contestants had the freedom to leave whenever they wanted.

‘’Don’t worry, I’ll be there,’’ Link said and downed the whole glass of wine in one go,  before motioning for the bartender to fill his glass again.

_ Okay, then… _ Rhett thought to himself. He glanced at the side of the room and saw Chris tapping his wrist as a signal to wrap up the party. Rhett went to the easel as everyone watched and waited. He grabbed one corner of the veil and pulled it off the painting, revealing the rose he had painted during the art class. He heard a couple of gasps coming from the room.

‘’As you all know, I painted this during the art class. You’ve probably been wondering why,’’ Rhett took a pause and took the painting in his hand. ‘’I wanted to give it as an extra promise for a future date night. A full night, just the two of us,’’ Rhett smiled.

Now there were more gasps and whispers in the room. It meant that the fantasy suite date would happen in near future. It meant a night in a fancy hotel room without cameras. Everyone knew why.

Rhett knew he didn’t have many options. He would seem like a jerk to the home audiences if he gave the painting to someone other than Link. He had just shared a heated moment with him and no way he could choose someone else. He briefly thought about Connor being a little jealous and he wanted to be able to give the painting to him too. He thought maybe he would be more relaxed with the handsome man if the cameras were not around.

But he was already walking towards Link. He could  _ feel  _ everyone else rolling their eyes at him. Link didn’t see him approaching and he saw him downing another full glass of wine in one gulp. Who knew how many glasses he’d had had in just a few minutes, but when Link finally turned to look at him, he looked like he’d had at least five. He was swaying a little.

‘’Link, will you accept-’’

‘’Oh for fuck’s sake.’’ Link slurred and grabbed the painting out of Rhett’s hand forcefully. He tried to drink from his empty glass but when he noticed it was empty he put it on the bar counter.

‘’Link…’’ Rhett tried.

‘’Yeah, yeah, I’ll take it, thanks,’’ Link said and hugged Rhett quickly.

Rhett looked into the cameras and saw the producer was signaling for the cameramen to stop filming before collapsing in his chair and putting his hands on his face, hiding his frustration.

After the cameras stopped rolling Chris came to get Rhett, he wasn’t allowed to be at the mansion when the cameras were off.

‘’Wait, wait…’’ He said to Chris and went back to Link who was still ordering more wine. He had put Rhett’s painting on the counter.

‘’Are you sure, you’re okay. I can’t leave before knowing. Link, please,’’ Rhett put his arm around Link.

Link sighed and then looked at Rhett. ‘’Just go, I’m fine. Really.’’

Rhett was tempted to kiss Link on the forehead but the way Chris and the producer were looking at him was a clear sign that he needed to leave immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts about this chapter!  
> You can also come yell at me on [Tumblr](http://jacularmetteld.tumblr.com/)! ❤︎


	5. The Spa Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett has his double date with Connor and Link at the spa. Everything goes nice and easy until...

Rhett splashed cold water on his face and looked into the bathroom mirror.  _ ‘’What am I doing?’’  _ he whispered to himself. He had not slept well, he’d mostly been thinking about Link and how he wished he would have met him somewhere other than on the show. He remembered Link talking about how he had tried to get a job at Rhett’s company. He wished he had met him there and he liked to think that he would have hired him if he were the one who had interviewed Link.

He couldn’t have known for sure but maybe things would have gone differently. Or maybe his reaction to Link would’ve been the same as when he had met him on the show. There hadn’t been an immediate attraction. He had morals, he would never think about dating an employee. He was professional to the core, so by hiring Link it would’ve been inappropriate to then start dating him.  _ Maybe it was meant to be this way? _

But Link’s behaviour bothered him. He seemed like he was attracted to him, and had told him so, but there was no way of telling what Link truly felt towards him. He had kind of asked to let him go too. If Link really wanted to go he could leave, just like everyone else. No one was a prisoner there, but still Link hadn’t left.

Rhett hated the thought that Link being there was a set up by the production team, that he was a hired actor instead of a real competitor to bring more entertainment to the show. There could be other reasons why Link was there and now wanted to leave but Rhett couldn’t think of any just now.

In the end Link would reject him and there would be headlines telling how there was yet another failed ending to The Bachelor, meaning Rhett would be left alone.

Rhett shook his head. He didn’t want that to happen; he wanted to find someone, not to create entertainment from a heartbreak. If it were true, he would probably need to let Link go during the next rose ceremony. It didn’t feel great to think about, but if Link was hired for entertainment value just to get the views, he needed to go. Rhett knew the entertainment business, it was his job after all. He was more on the comedy side but he had some experience with reality TV from collaborations he had done. Reality TV was often far from reality. Hired actors were used in many of them.

Rhett splashed cold water onto his face once more and patted himself dry with a towel. He chose a white button-up and light grey jeans to wear. It didn’t matter much what he had on since he would be getting into a robe soon at the spa.

The car came to get him as planned and drove him to the small, luxury spa. Rhett would have chosen something low-key like a Korean spa if it were up to him, but for the show they wanted him to choose something more upscale. He would be meeting Connor and Link there. He felt awkward, almost like he was in a third-wheel situation. The two were there already, having a conversation alone. What if they became attracted to each other in such a nice and relaxing environment? Rhett had noticed how softly Connor had looked at Link when he asked him to join them at the spa, and the big smile Link had dancing on his lips when he had said yes.

Rhett wished he could stop overanalyzing everything. Connor had said earlier he was feeling a little jealous… But now that Rhett thought about it, he wasn’t sure who he had meant. Maybe he was jealous that Rhett was the one kissing Link on the balcony. Rhett shook his head. No, Connor liked him, not Link. Connor was there because of Rhett.

Rhett got out of the car and talked briefly with Chris about what they would be doing and what kind of treatments they were going to be getting. He was told that Connor and Link would be waiting for him in the lounge area. The whole spa was reserved just for them for the next couple of hours, so there was no need to worry about the situation becoming more awkward with some other naked dudes around.

The three of them wouldn’t be wandering around naked either. Sure they would blur the video if something were to slip, but for the sake of the show they were instructed to keep their towels on, even in the sauna. Rhett didn’t like that, he would definitely be naked otherwise, but this situation was different.

He went into the locker room and switched his clothes to a soft, white robe. After changing he headed to the main lounge area, where most of the cameras were already filming Connor and Link. Rhett took a deep breath before stepping out from around the corner. Connor and Link rose from their chairs and Rhett went to them. He hugged Connor first and then Link, he probably held him longer than necessary, getting a little sad about the things he had thought of earlier, that he might need to let Link go. He chatted briefly with both of them about the serene atmosphere of the spa and how much he enjoyed coming here. Then Rhett noticed a bottle of champagne sitting on a cooler full of ice on the table behind them.

‘’Shall we start with this?’’ Rhett went to pick the bottle up. The other two men smiled and nodded. ‘’Okay, get your glasses ready!’’ Rhett shouted and popped the cork which flew somewhere across the room. Link giggled and covered his face with his forearms while Connor just flinched. Rhett thought he hadn’t seen anything cuter in his life than Link in that moment.

The champagne flowed from the bottle and Rhett hurried to get at least some of it in their glasses. ‘’Good thing we’re wearing these things,’’ Connor smiled as he wiped his hands on the robe. Rhett had gotten some of the sparkling liquid on him. He was more careful with Link and poured him a full glass. He filled his own glass and put the bottle on the table. ‘’To us and to this day.’’ Rhett said and raised his glass to toast the others. A little more general chattering and sipping his drink got Rhett feeling more relaxed. He realized that he wasn’t alone with his feelings, this situation was new to all of them and no one really knew how to act normal. Even the ever so confident Connor fidgeted with his glass.

Next they were guided to a massage room. There were three massage tables in the room and Rhett chose the middle one so he could possibly chat with both his dates during the massage. Usually he preferred silence but this situation was different and he didn’t mind talking if the others wanted to.

Rhett told the masseuse go hard and that’s what happened. He heard pleased sighs coming from the other tables too. Rhett felt like he was ready to fall asleep when there was a louder moan. Rhett’s eyes flew open on the doughnut pillow and he glanced in Link’s direction, though he couldn’t quite see him. There was another moan and whimper. Those noises went straight to Rhett’s groin and he felt himself blushing. He turned his head to the side and saw Link enjoying his massage and definitely not hiding it. He was  _ loud _ . Rhett turned to look at Connor, he had heard the same and was looking at Link too. They shared a look and smiled to each other. Both of them knew how inappropriate the sounds Link was making were. Connor mouthed _ ‘’Wow,’’  _ to Rhett and he mouthed  _ ‘’I know,’’ _ back at him. Both of them chuckled, but Rhett couldn’t deny he wasn’t enjoying the sounds. Those noises would probably come to him in his dreams later. He was already holding himself back from thinking how he would love to get those noises out of Link himself.

_ ‘’Ah! Oh yeah, mmm… oh… right there… That feels so good.’’ _ Link grunted. Rhett thought the massage couldn’t end soon enough. He needed all of his willpower just to keep himself from developing a hard-on.

Rhett had never been so tense after a massage. He sat on the edge of the massage table and the others did too. He saw Link’s flustered face and he cursed the man for making him feel this way in front of Connor and the cameras.

‘’Liked the massage, huh?’’ Rhett asked with a little smile on his face.

‘’I’ve never been as relaxed as I am now. I need to do this on a regular basis now that I know how good it feels.’’ Link replied. He ran his hand through his hair. ‘’I felt like I was alone in the room.’’ He hopped off the table and got into his robe again.

‘’Yeah, it sounded like it too,’’ Connor commented and nudged Rhett on the shoulder, startling him a little. Rhett hadn’t noticed Connor standing behind him.

It took a moment for Link to realize to what he was referring to. ‘’Oh, sorry. I’m not used to holding back if I’m enjoying something.’’ Link said with a grin and a quick wink to Connor’s direction.

‘’Good to know,’’ Rhett chuckled and got himself into the robe again. He needed to hold himself back from thinking about too much Link enjoying  _ things _ .

A spa employee came to offer them glasses of water with cucumber slices in them and at the same time informed them that they could move to the hot tub area if they pleased. The three men thanked her. Link was the first one to go change into swimming trunks, leaving Connor and Rhett alone for a moment.

‘’You really like him, don’t you?’’ Connor asked once Link was out of the room.

‘’Link? Yeah, I guess… I mean… He’s…’’

‘’Hey, don’t worry about it. You don’t need to say anything. I see the way you look at him. You’ve spent more time with him than the rest of us after all.’’ Connor squeezed Rhett’s shoulder understandingly.

Rhett thought of what he should say next. He didn’t want Connor to feel like he was left out. Rhett was still interested in him too. All the mystery with Link and his behaviour just made him think about Link more. That was probably his goal anyway, if he were really an actor.

‘’True, it’s funny how things don’t go as planned. I would’ve chosen you to be my first date but…’’

‘’We got our date and now we’re having one again.’’

‘’One thing really bothers me though.’’

‘’And what is that?’’

Rhett put his glass down and rose from the massage table to stand directly in front of Connor. It was still amazing to Rhett how tall Connor was, he was eye to eye with him without having to look down… and mouth to mouth. Rhett collected all of his courage and leaned forward. He put his hand on Connor’s cheek and waited for him to come forward too. Soon he felt Connor’s full lips brush against his own and his eyes slipped closed. It felt nice and Rhett would have continued the kiss longer but something didn’t quite feel right.

‘’Well wow, I almost started to think I wouldn’t get to experience that.’’ Connor said.

Rhett smiled. All the times he had pictured himself doing that with Connor it had been a mind blowing experience and now it was just... alright. Like he had kissed a friend. He decided to give it another chance later. Maybe knowing Link was around messed with his head somehow? Rhett truly didn’t know.

‘’Ahem,’’

Rhett turned to look and saw Link standing in the doorway with nothing but tiny black swimming trunks on.

_ Oh gosh, how long he has been there? _ Rhett thought. He felt chills going down his spine, he really hoped Link had only just walked in, not when he and Connor were…

‘’My turn to go change then,’’ Connor said smiling.

Link turned sideways so Connor could walk past him. Rhett saw how Connor’s eyes measured Link’s body while he was there and then he turned to look at the back view as well and threw a quick grin to Rhett. It made Rhett feel something, he didn’t know what, but he didn’t like how Connor had looked at Link.

Link hadn’t seen anything since his eyes were fixed on Rhett. ‘’Hey, uhmm, I just want to say sorry… about yesterday,’’ Link took a few steps forward and crossed his arms. ‘’I was a total jerk without good reason and I drank too much wine…’’

Rhett was relieved, he assumed Link hadn’t seen the little moment he had shared with Connor earlier. ‘’It’s fine. I was just worried about you. To be honest, I couldn’t sleep much last night because I was worried about you after you drank so much,’’ Rhett said. He put his hands on Link’s bare shoulders, rubbing them a little with his thumb.

‘’It was just too much… Us getting caught like that… it’s not my usual style to just give myself over.’’

‘’I get it, don’t worry about it anymore.’’ Actually, Rhett didn’t get it. He had so many questions he wanted to ask but since there were cameras everywhere he still couldn’t do it.

Link nodded. ‘’I have your painting beside my bed now, by the way. It’s nice. It felt nice to see it first thing in the morning,’’

‘’Thanks for letting me know, I was pretty sure you had already thrown it away.’’

‘’I wouldn’t,’’ Link said defensively. ‘’But anyway, I’m gonna head to the hot tub area, can’t wait to get into the warm water, it’s getting chilly here,’’ Link hugged himself tighter and Rhett saw he was shivering a little.

‘’Oh yes, of course, see you there soon.’’ He let go of Link and watched the man walk out of the room. He couldn’t help but let his eyes enjoy the view of Link in tiny swimwear again as he followed him out of the room. When Link turned the other way Rhett saw Connor coming back towards him from the locker room area. He too was wearing only black swimming gear and it was the first time Rhett saw him with so little clothes on. He’d imagined Connor being extremely fit and he had not been wrong. Every muscle was visible, he looked like he could be someone from a men’s underwear ad.

‘’Hi, again,’’ Rhett felt his knees going weak. The man was absolutely gorgeous and seeing him half-naked was nearly too much. If he kissed Connor now he would probably faint into his arms.

‘’See you soon,’’ Connor laughed as he walked past Rhett.

Rhett was still staring after him after a couple of minutes.  _ How could I ever be with someone like him? _ A man near perfection, his looks, his personality, he also worked at a big IT company. He hadn’t said how much money he made, but it was enough to live in the city without roommates. Rhett was afraid he wouldn’t be worth it. Maybe it was just irrational fear? He was successful and good looking too but still...

As Rhett changed his clothes he looked at himself from the mirror. He was fit but not nearly as fit as Connor. What if the man didn’t like him anymore after seeing him without a shirt? He didn’t worry about Link, he had already seen Rhett half naked and from what he could tell, Link had liked what he’d seen. At least he had noticed Link looking at his arms and shoulders, but with Connor this would be a first time. He felt self-conscious.

‘’Okay, so what if I don’t have ripped abs? Connor is not so superficial that it would matter to him,’’ Rhett muttered to himself.

Bravely he went to the hot tub area. He noticed the lights weren’t as bright as they normally were and there was soft music playing in the room. There was also a cart with snacks and drinks and beside it was a little seating area for the three of them and towels for everyone.

He saw Link and Connor in the hot tub. They were talking to each other, but they were sitting too close to each other for Rhett’s liking. They seemed to be having a fun conversation without him. Link leaned towards Connor to whisper something to him, but when Rhett came closer Link turned to look at him and immediately slid further away from Connor.

‘’What took you so long?’’ Link cooed.

Connor also turned to look at him with a smile on his face.

‘’Well I’m here now, boys.’’ Rhett said and stepped into the tub with the two men, sitting in between them. The lights dimmed even more and Rhett saw there were candles around the tub, making the scene quite romantic. For a moment he felt awkward since there were three of them but he felt better when Link leaned against him, skin on skin. Rhett threw his arm around Link and his other arm around Connor. He had two gorgeous men in his arms, who wouldn’t love to be in this situation?

‘’I’m gonna grab something to drink,’’ Link said and slowly started to get out of the tub. Both, he and Connor watched Link’s wet body as he made his way to get his drink. Link stretched his body first and Rhett felt hot. He admired Connor’s body but Link’s physique was pleasing to watch as well. The wide shoulders, the tiny waist, and even tinier upside-down heart-shaped butt.

The show was over when Link wrapped a towel around himself and sat on the lounge chair with his can of Sprite.

Rhett was enjoying the bubbles and being close to Connor and he would have stayed longer if it were just the two of them, but he knew they didn’t have much time left at the spa so he decided to join Link and get a drink and explore the delicious looking cheese platter on the snack table.

He could get used to living like this daily but in the end he would have to make some decisions. He couldn’t keep them both no matter how much he wanted to. He knew he could give roses to both of them but he had been told that it would be more interesting to the viewers if he only gave out one rose. Rhett had already made up his mind, he would feel awful if he didn’t give a rose to both of them.

As their casual conversation about their lives started to slow down, the spa employee came to them again and said they could get some refreshing facial treatments. All three of them agreed to go. Rhett usually didn’t go for facials since he had a beard but now it sounded like a great idea because he could hang out with the two guys longer. The more time he spent with them the more comfortable it was. Connor and Link seemed to be relaxed too and were chatting about everything from the weather to the places they would like to visit.

Despite the occasional streaks of jealousy Rhett could see the three of them being friends. He could picture all of them having a barbeque party in his backyard, drinking beers and talking about whatever. He needed more friends like that.

Rhett chose a simple cleansing and moisturising facial routine for them. Everyone was happy about that choice.

In the middle of the treatment he heard giggling coming from Link’s side. Rhett opened his eyes and turned to look. ‘’You two look like swamp monsters,’’

‘’Like you look any better with that green stuff on your face!’’ Rhett said back, smiling and rolling his eyes.

‘’I definitely do, compared to you. Actually, Connor looks like a swamp monster, you look like the Jolly Green Giant,’’ Link chuckled.

‘’Hey!’’ Came from Connor’s chair. ‘’This’ll make us pretty.’’ He adjusted himself into his chair again.

‘’Sorry, but you’ll need ten thousand of those to make you pretty,’’ Link laughed.

‘’Don’t make me come over there and whoop yo’ ass!’’ Connor threatened playfully.

Rhett snickered at that.

‘’You wouldn’t dare.’’ Link shrugged and leaned into his chair again.

‘’Oh really?’’

‘’You have to get past the Jolly Green Giant first to get to me. He’ll protect me, won’t ya?’’ Link winked at Rhett.

‘’I don’t know baby, maybe you do need a whooping,’’ Rhett wiggled his eyebrows.

‘’Oh, I see how it is,’’ Link pouted.

The woman giving him the facial had to ask Rhett to lean back into his chair because he was moving around too much. Rhett wondered what they must have thought about all of this, seeing all three of them there on a date like this.

The date at the spa was coming to an end once they got their masks removed and applied some cooling and moisturising lotion as a final step. Rhett had gifted both Connor and Link a packet from the spa, containing the fanciest and most expensive skin care products they offered along with big soft towels.

‘’Thank you, Rhett,’’ Connor gave him a quick hug and Link did the same.

‘’One more thing,’’ Rhett started. He opened his locker and got two roses. ‘’It was a nice day. I enjoyed it very much, you both deserve these,’’ Rhett gave one to Link first and then the last one to Connor. ‘’I’ll see you tomorrow,’’ He said and left the two to get dressed in peace. Ending the dates like this was a little awkward and he would have loved to continue it further.

Rhett decided to stay a little longer and get into the sauna. The other two weren’t too interested when he had casually mentioned it after the hot tub. He didn’t mind, he knew it wasn’t for everybody. Rhett wasn’t in need of the hot sauna at the moment, but he needed some time alone where there weren’t any cameras around and he could think about the things that had just happened. Just in case he still kept the towel on, he didn’t entirely trust the camera crew.

Ten minutes later he was leaning against the wall of the sauna, eyes closed and mind drifting to the events of the day. He thought about Connor and his impressive frame, his lips, and how he wished he would have kissed him again at some point during the day. He thought about Link and his silly jokes and weird sense of humor, his smile and sparkling eyes, his lips…

Something brushed against his arm and he snapped out of his dreaming. ‘’Wha-?’’ He jumped a little. It was hard to see anything in the steam.

‘’ _ Shh _ , it’s me.’’ Link whispered.

‘’What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on the way back to the mansion with Connor?’’ Rhett was shocked from such a surprise.

‘’They can’t tell us what to do. I wanted to come here.’’ Link inched closer and soon Rhett saw his figure and felt Link grabbing his thigh.

‘’Uh…’’

‘’I saw you kiss Connor,’’ Link said, squeezing Rhett’s thigh harder.

Rhett was about to answer but Link shushed him. ‘’I don’t mind, I just wanted to make sure I’m the latest person you kissed,’’ Link said and basically glued himself onto Rhett’s side.

‘’Huh?’’ Rhett was puzzled but he didn’t try to ask more questions when he felt Link’s hand on the back of his head pulling him down, eager lips searching for his. Rhett gave himself over to it and answered the kiss just as eagerly, open mouth, hungry kisses, teeth nibbling and pulling lips. Link straddled him and both of his fingers tangled in Rhett’s hair. Rhett’s hands found their natural place at Link’s waist but he wanted more. He snaked his hands lower, making Link moan softly into his mouth. Rhett was getting hard and Link writhing in his lap only sped up the process. His hands slid lower and then he realized something. Between hot, messy kisses and breathing he asked. ‘’Where’s your towel?’’

‘’On the seat of course,’’ Link said hoarsely.

‘’So… you’re naked…  _ Oh gosh _ …’’ Rhett swallowed. He only wished he could see him. The steam was thick and he could only see outlines but he didn’t even dare to take a closer look. The way Link was kissing him wouldn’t allow him to, either. He slid his hands a little further down to feel his ass, it was just as soft and round as he had imagined.

‘’Okay, sorry big boy but I need to go now,’’ he gave Rhett a few pecks around his face and continued.  _ ‘’They’re still listening to us,’’ _ he whispered.

Rhett knew what he meant but his head was spinning and he was as hard as a rock. He didn’t want to let Link go but he didn’t stop him either when he got out of his lap and was gone sooner than he had come.

Rhett touched his lips and then ran his hand through his hair. _ ‘’What the fuck was that?’’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry/Not sorry :D  
> You can also come yell at me on [Tumblr](http://jacularmetteld.tumblr.com/)! ❤︎


	6. The Final Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a group date at a bowling alley, Rhett needs to let go of five contestants at the rose ceremony and he has a nice surprise for the remaining contestants.

Rhett was getting ready for the next group date but his mind was elsewhere. Link’s moans echoed in his head and images of his sweaty naked body on his lap invaded his mind. He wanted to know what game he was playing but he also just wanted to go to Link, take him somewhere quiet and have him on his lap again but this time without the steam and towel.

_ ‘’Rhett!’’  _ The producer caught his attention. ‘’I called you three times. Are you ready to go?’’ he continued.

Rhett simply nodded and walked to the car. He was actually glad Link and Connor wouldn’t be on this group date. Those two men managed to get most of his attention, especially Link. Rhett needed to make a decision later at the rose ceremony. He would need to let go of five of the contestants. He knew he would make some men sad because the next day they would be moving the shooting location from L.A. to Hawaii. Just Rhett and ten contestants on a beautiful private resort in paradise.

It was still a secret to the contestants but Rhett would tell them at the end of the group date. Connor and Link would get a letter about it back in the mansion. Something in the back of his mind said in an evil tone that while he was out with the others, Connor and Link would be together, alone, in the romantic mansion. Sure there were cameras but still Rhett couldn’t help being a little jealous.

At this point he had the strongest feelings towards Link, but Rhett wasn’t quite sure if it was just sexual attraction or if it was something more. Since he still didn’t know if Link was just an actor or not, he held back and tried to keep his mind open for every option, to every contestant.

Rhett really wanted to call his best friend Kyle and explain the situation to him and ask for his advice. He had always trusted his opinion and he could use some right now. But he wasn’t allowed to talk about the production to outsiders, at least not yet. He would have to wait a little over a week to let anyone know about anything going on in the set. He was a little nervous knowing that later he would be bringing a couple of contestants in front of his family and friends and he would be hearing their thoughts and seeing them interact with his potential future husband.

Rhett arrived at the bowling alley. As usual, the whole place was reserved just for them and all the contestants were already inside waiting for him. Rhett was slowly getting used to this, but it was still odd to be on a date with such a large group of men.

Rhett greeted everyone with a smile and made a joke about how stylish the bowling shoes looked on everyone. This time he would be playing with the others, the teams were chosen randomly by a name-in-a-hat technique and he ended up on a team with Bailey, Lucas, and Jeremy. Rhett was happy to be on a team with someone he hadn’t yet talked with a lot. Jeremy had similar looks as Link: tall, blue eyes, a slim figure and black hair, but he didn’t have glasses and he wore more classic clothes, a long-sleeved shirt and black pants. Rhett had only talked with him at the cocktail party and even then it was only very briefly. He had kept him in the competition just because his looks pleased him.

He already liked Bailey a lot but Rhett couldn’t say he had a crush on him, Bailey was more like a friend he wished he could stay friends with after they were done shooting the show. But he reminded himself that friends could eventually grow to be lovers too. He liked to keep his mind open.

Lucas was the loud one and definitely didn’t hold back from whatever was on his mind. He didn’t this time either.

‘’Finally we can have you to ourselves without those two man-eaters around!’’ He exclaimed loudly and pulled Rhett into a side hug.

Rhett laughed nervously as a response, he wasn’t used to this kind of straightforward person.

‘’Listen, tall boy, you need to keep your eyes open for other options, like myself,’’ Lucas continued with a melodic laugh.

‘’Come on, I’m joking. But not really.’’ He winked at Rhett and let go of him.

Rhett was rarely speechless but now he had a hard time finding the right words to say. He glanced in Bailey’s direction who smiled and shrugged at him knowingly.

‘’Alright…’’ Rhett said, giving Lucas a little smile.

‘’The other team started already, should we too?’’ Jeremy asked and picked up a bowling ball like he was testing how heavy it was.

Rhett looked at the other team and saw they had indeed already started. They wouldn’t be playing a traditional game,after few rounds Rhett would give a rose to the man who got the highest score to avoid elimination later in the evening.

The rounds went quickly and everyone was amused at how bad Rhett was at bowling. He wasn't the worst, but since he had picked this activity everyone was surprised he wasn’t great at it like he had been at basketball. Rhett explained that it was because he just simply thought it would be a fun way to spend time together and he and his company often arranged a bowling night for his employees.

The time flew by and Rhett had fun with the group of men. He was actually happy that Connor and Link weren’t there so he had time to chat a little bit with everyone else. Since Rhett wasn’t the best at bowling he was out of the game soon and he joined the others at the bar where they could see the best ones still playing.

Lucas, who had said he’d never bowled before, was in the final four by pure luck. His words of course. Rhett was happy to see him being so enthusiastic about the silly game, he found it cute and it helped that Lucas was actually very attractive too. Rhett could easily imagine them having a fun time together, but he couldn’t see himself spending rest of his life with him, unlike with Link or Connor. Not that he had been thinking about it a lot.

Bailey joined him at the same table with a couple of other contestants who were already eliminated from the bowling game. Like always, it was easy to chat with Bailey about everything, the show, bowling, future plans. Bailey had a dream to become an actor and he was still studying to be one someday but for now he was and had been an assistant to various celebrities and rich and busy people in general. He had a lot of amazing stories to tell. Of course he couldn’t say any names, but Rhett could listen to his stories all day long. Bailey was young, only 25, but he had experienced a lot in his life already. That made him interesting, one of the most interesting people Rhett had ever met.

Loud cheering interrupted the calm chatting at the bar table. The winner was clear and it was a surprise to everyone, even to the winner himself.

‘’Apparently I’m as great a bowler as I am young and single and hella gay!’’ Lucas informed and let out his signature laughter.

Rhett stood up amongst the others at the bar and applauded him. Lucas did a couple of curtsies instead of bows, getting some snickering out of other contestants. It amused Rhett too, and he went to Lucas and gave him a quick hug and congratulated him. Next he asked Lucas to join him at the bar and ordered ‘’the house special.’’ Everyone gasped when the bartender gave a rose to Rhett who offered it to Lucas.

‘’Lucas, will you accept this rose?’’ Rhett asked with a big smile on his face.

‘’Oh my God! Really?’’ Lucas held his hands against his chest in a dramatic manner.

‘’Yes, really,’’ Rhett nodded.

‘’Of course! Yes! Thank you!’’ Lucas exclaimed and basically jumped to hug Rhett, hanging from his neck. He kissed Rhett on the cheek before letting go and grabbed the rose from his hand.

Bailey was the first one of the other contestants to come and congratulate Lucas. Rhett loved how sincerely happy he could be for everyone. He knew he would be giving a rose to Bailey too at the ceremony.

When the group date was coming to an end and the chattering started to quiet down Rhett detached himself from the group and started to speak.

‘’Can I have everyone’s attention?’’ He waited a moment before continuing, making sure everyone was listening. ‘’I hope everyone had a good time and we will be meeting again at the rose ceremony later, but before that I’m glad to inform that those who get a rose tonight will be joining me next week…’’ he paused again, looking briefly at everyone in the eyes. ‘’in Hawaii.’’ He winked.

Lucas looked like he was about to faint while holding his rose tightly. Most of the contestants were enthusiastic about it and jumped for joy and hugged each other. Rhett saw a few faces which weren’t that happy. Rhett assumed it was because they thought they wouldn’t be getting a rose and a flight ticket to Hawaii.

‘’Remember this will be the last night for everyone, so once you get back to the mansion pack your bags and enjoy the place. We’re leaving tomorrow morning,’’ Rhett said and then started to leave the bowling alley, giving a few more hugs to the ones in need of one.

**~~~*~~~**

Three hours later Rhett was getting suited up for the last cocktail party at the mansion. He didn’t feel wistful about it but he was excited to move on and get ready to make serious decision about his life. Finding a potential companion for the rest of his life was getting closer and he was hopeful. There were interesting and wonderful men he could imagine being with. He already felt like he had conquered something. Even in his busy life he felt lonely often but now he felt loved and desired, his fear of being lonely for the rest of his life was fading.

With that thought Link popped into his mind again. He was quite surprised he had not thought about him at the bowling alley and he had been able to concentrate on the others he had mostly ignored before, like Jeremy. He had been a fun companion at the bowling alley and Rhett wanted to take him on a date to get to know him better.

Thinking about the contestants he realized he would be meeting Link again soon. Last time he had seen him was when he was writhing naked in his lap. Well, he hadn’t seen him then either but he sure had felt him there. He couldn’t wait to see how Link would act now, being fully clothed again. Rhett was slightly nervous about it. Did Link regret the things he had done? He hoped not, but with Link he could never be sure about what was going on in his head. The man was a total mystery but he was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

Rhett put on his best black suit, white button-up shirt, and an emerald green tie to bring out the color of his eyes. The game was getting serious and he wanted to look his best.

The ride to the mansion felt longer than it actually was. He paid attention to the scenery instead of listening to the producer going through the events in the front seat. He knew what he was supposed to do, it was the same as he had done before, so it didn’t matter if he listened. Give the roses, say goodbyes, chat a little with the others, and go back home. Rhett had packed his bags days ago, so as soon as the cocktail party was over, he would try to get some sleep.

This time the cocktail party was set outdoors by the pool. All the gorgeous contestants were lined up, waiting for him. Rhett didn’t have to search for Link for long, he again was standing in the middle of the row, holding the rose he had gotten at the spa. He stood between Connor and Lucas, both of them also holding a rose. Rhett had a tray with seven more roses on it, he knew who he would give them to and he wouldn’t be making any last minute changes. He locked eyes with Link for a moment and Link looked like nothing had happened at all at the spa. No smiles, no winks, or any other secret signals.

Rhett cleared his throat and started to give out the roses. Every once in a while he glanced at Link, seeing if he would react somehow, or do anything really. Rhett started to feel like he had just imagined what happened between them in the sauna. Link looked so calm and congratulated the contestants getting roses just like everyone else did.

Rhett didn’t know what he had expected. For Link to run to him and hug and kiss him in front of everyone? Definitely not that but something that meant he had not dreamt their intimate moment in the steam sauna.

The men with roses hugged those who were left without them before Rhett said his goodbyes. He felt bad for them. If they didn’t get a partner at least they might have gotten an unforgettable trip. That sounded fair in Rhett’s mind. He couldn’t do anything about it now but he knew he would be seeing all of the contestants once the show was over in a reunion episode. He decided to arrange something nice for the men he had left behind, like gift cards towards a nice cruise ship or something like that. But for now he had just to wish them well.

He looked at the remaining group and noticed the one he was looking for was missing, but before he could do anything else he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and the confused look on his face turned into a smile when he saw Link standing there. He had put the rose behind his ear and it made Rhett smile even wider. He ghosted his hand over it, not wanting to drop it by touching it.

‘’It suits you,’’ Rhett murmured.

‘’Thank you,’’ Link grinned and turned his head to the side a little so Rhett could see it better. ‘’So, Hawaii, huh?’’ He continued. He was clearly holding himself back from attracting too much attention from the others since he was glancing in their direction and keeping his distance from Rhett.

‘’Yeah, ever been before?’’ Rhett asked. He was happy Link was there. He didn’t need to touch or hold him to know the moment they had shared that morning had been real. He saw Link’s eyes sparkling in a way they had not before. It was like there was some kind of awareness that Link knew Rhett liked him the best and no longer felt threatened by the other contestants.

‘’No, there’s like active volcanos and stuff…’’ Link shook his head and looked down.

‘’Are you scared?’’ Rhett leaned down, trying to look into his eyes.

‘’No,’’ He lifted his head up and pouted for a couple of seconds. ‘’Maybe a little.’’

‘’I’ll protect you.’’

‘’From lava? How? What are you made of if hot, gooey rock material can’t melt you?’’

‘’Well, I have a jet to get out of there.’’ Rhett shrugged with a smug smile.

Link raised his eyebrows as he remembered Rhett mention it before. ‘’Good point,’’ he chuckled.

After a moment of silence Link got up to leave. ‘’See you in the morning then,’’ he said.

‘’Uhm, Link. Wait a minute. Would you join me in the garden for a moment?’’ Rhett asked quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear it. He didn’t need anyone to follow them.

‘’Sure,’’ Link replied.

Rhett put his hand on the small of Link’s back and guided him down the dimly lit path to the garden. There was a camera following them from a distance but there was nothing he could do about it.

Once they were out of sight from the other contestants Rhett brushed his hand against Link’s, asking for permission to hold it. Link took it gladly and got little closer to Rhett, enough to make their arms brush against each other with every step.

Rhett felt butterflies in his stomach. He hadn’t felt like this in years. The moments like these with Link were moments when he didn’t care if Link was just an actor. These moments also made him feel like that couldn’t possibly be true. No one was that good of an actor. Link was squeezing his hand and every once in a while glancing at Rhett and then smiling, something you do when you have a crush on someone. Rhett knew that because he did the same thing to Link.

After a short, silent walk they ended up on a small patio surrounded by more dim lights, flower arrangements, and a hand carved wooden bench. Crickets were chirping and the ocean waves could been heard from afar. Together they sat on the bench, still holding hands.

‘’Did you want to talk about something?’’ Link asked softly while studying Rhett’s face.

‘’No, not necessarily. I just wanted to be alone with you for a moment. What happened this morning…’’

Link hurried to put a finger on Rhett’s lips. ‘’ _ Shh _ … Let’s not talk about that…’’

‘’But-’’ Rhett still tried but Link pulled him in by his chin and landed a kiss on his mouth to make him stop talking.

Rhett gave up on asking questions and allowed Link to kiss him as he wished. Rhett didn’t need any lava to melt him when Link’s kisses already did that.

Rhett turned to hold Link, he wanted to lift him to sit in his lap but he knew time was running out and they needed to leave soon so he held himself back. Link, on the other hand, didn’t hold back. His hand snuck its way into Rhett’s jacket, caressing his sides and stomach and moving dangerously close to his groin. Rhett grabbed his hand and pushed it away. That made Link snap out of it. He leaned back with a confused look on his face, seeming a little hurt that Rhett had rejected him. Rhett immediately felt bad. Link looked desirable with his shiny, swollen lips and lust filled eyes and he wanted nothing more than to continue but it was getting late and the others would come looking for them soon.

‘’Link....’’ Rhett started his apology.

‘’Yeah, I get it… I just… I’m sorry,’’ Link turned his gaze away. He slowly backed away a little, not touching Rhett anymore.

‘’Nothing to be sorry about, we’ll have time, I promise,’’ Rhett soothed him and he gently caressed Link’s shoulder.

‘’I hope so,’’ Link whispered and got up from the bench, slowly starting to follow the path back to the mansion.

Rhett followed him. He felt like there was nothing more he could say to make Link feel better. Rhett needed comfort too, right now he wanted to say screw the show and take Link with him and go back home and not worry about hurting anyone else’s feelings. He just wanted to see Link happy. Happy with him.

They were still holding hands and glancing at each other while they walked but the mood had changed.

They let go of each other when they heard and saw the others by the pool. Rhett gave Link one last smile and followed him into the crowd.

‘’Oh, there they come,’’ someone announced.

Rhett blushed a little when all eyes turned to him and Link.

Lucas stepped in front of Link and eyed him up and down, making Link frown. ‘’Where’s your rose?’’ he said, his voice as cold as a knife’s blade.

‘’I didn’t get another one, if that’s what you’re asking,’’ Link hissed.

Rhett stood up straight, paying a lot of attention to the tight conversation.

Lucas rolled his eyes. ‘’I meant the one you put in your hair. Were you so busy riding his dick you didn’t notice it fall?’’ He shrugged and again looked up and down at him.

Link’s jaw dropped and he was about to reply but Rhett stepped between the two. ‘’Okay, that’s enough. The party’s over.’’

That was the moment Rhett learned Link didn’t really need protection and he wouldn’t let anyone jump in his face. ‘’Nothing like that happened! You better shut the f-’’

Rhett’s eyes grew wide as Link pushed him out of the way, which made him lose balance. For a moment everything seemed to move in slow motion as he fell back, right into the pool. He got a glimpse of Link’s face turning towards him in the middle of shouting to Lucas and then covering his mouth with his hand and reaching for Rhett with his other.

Rhett heard a big splash and he closed his eyes when the water enveloped him. Quickly, he started to move his arms and legs to get him into an upward position so he could push his head out of the water. He popped through the surface with a gasp and he saw everyone by the pool, watching him wide eyed.

Rhett grabbed the side of the pool and after a couple of seconds of silence he started to laugh. ‘’Well, if that’s not good television, I don’t know what is.’’ He continued to laugh as Connor came to help pull him out of the water. Rhett saw everyone smiling now while looking at him.

Rhett looked down at himself, his best suit ruined. It wasn’t a big deal but still it made him curse silently in his head. He wiped his wet hair back with his hand.

While others were bringing him towels and helping him, Rhett saw Lucas going up to Link again but this time he seemed like he was a little embarrassed. He could hear the two of them talking.

‘’Hey Link, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it earlier. I guess I was just a little jealous.’’ Lucas raised his gaze from his shoes to Link’s eyes.

Link nodded. ‘’It’s alright, man. I know the feeling...’’

Rhett would have lied if he had said he didn’t like these two men fighting over him but he liked more that they made up. He could peacefully leave the mansion and the contestants for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts about this chapter! Too much fluff?Never too much fluff? :D  
> You can also come yell at me on [Tumblr](http://jacularmetteld.tumblr.com/)! ❤︎


	7. Hawaii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett takes his final ten contestants to Hawaii with his private jet. He is almost certain Link is the one for him but everything is not going as planned when they arrive.

Rhett was happy he was able to sleep well. After the incident by the pool he had taken a long, hot shower at home and had a couple of glasses of nice wine after. His mind, as usual, had been on Link and their moment in the garden. It had felt natural to be with him. He found it funny that just a few days back everything had been awkward between them, but something had changed after their trip to the spa. He didn’t know what had made Link come into the sauna with him but he was glad he did. Rhett still had some questions he needed Link to answer but now he felt like it wasn’t too big, just something he couldn’t say in front of the cameras.

It wasn’t even seven A.M. when the car came to take Rhett to the airport. He dressed comfortably in a pair of dark blue joggers and a gold colored hoodie. He felt excited, he loved Hawaii, he had visited almost every island, but Kauai was the one he was most fond of. He had been there alone on a solo excursion a couple of years ago shortly after his longest relationship had ended, just to think about his life and who he really was. He had been devastated, but the beautiful place had gotten him back to his feet. Kyle had thought he was a madman for doing a trip like that alone. Rhett had thought so too at first, but then he realized he needed to experience new things and learn to live by himself. Before he had jumped from one relationship to another and never stopped to think about what it was he really needed. His next relationship needed to be more meaningful, not with someone he had just crossed paths and jumped into a short relationship with.

Soon the doorbell rang and his driver came to get his luggage for the trip. Rhett made sure he had everything he needed and checked everything for the last time before following the driver to the car. Rhett didn’t use his jet that often, usually only for the high class travel show he produced on one of his Youtube channels. Business was doing well and growing constantly and he would later be developing the show into an actual series on Netflix. Most of all he was fond of all the legroom he had on the jet and the fact that he didn’t need to have an awkward conversation with the person in the next seat. He also didn’t need to stand in lines in the airport or fear his luggage getting lost.

He arrived at Santa Monica Municipal Airport where his jet was housed. It was a home to many other private jets too; he preferred a smaller airport rather than busy LAX. He was guided to the waiting lounge and it was one of the things he liked most, there was just the staff and a few other passengers around; no need to rush and sweat the whole time. He got to choose what they would eat on the plane and while he was waiting he was served the drinks and snacks he desired. He was usually with someone when he was waiting to  board the plane, this time he was waiting for a group of men and someone amongst them could be his potential love interest, it was exciting.

His mind drifted to the previous night and his moment with Link in the garden. It had felt natural to be with him there, to hold him close and see him smile. His heart fluttered a little, he couldn’t wait to have a night alone with him and wake up beside him. He could clearly imagine Link curled up on his side and then waking up, his hair all tousled with a cute, tired smile dancing on his lips. He would pull Link even closer and kiss his messy hair, murmuring sweet nothings to him and making him giggle, possibly getting under the covers to make him stop blushing. Not to mention taking a morning shower together… the thought made Rhett sigh audibly.

Chris came to interrupt his thoughts, informing him that the contestants had arrived. Rhett rose from the seat and straightened his clothes, ready to meet everyone again. He put on a big smile when he saw the men coming closer. He welcomed everyone and loved to see them looking around and talking about how amazing it was to be in an airpot which wasn’t packed with other people. Rhett loved to offer people experiences they probably wouldn’t otherwise get; he loved making people happy.

Together they walked directly to the gate where they were let onto the plane. The group of men turned into a group of giggling teenage girls while they picked the seats and admired all the space they wouldn’t normally have on a plane. Everyone was enthusiastic to travel like a king.

‘’This really is _something_ , Rhett,’’ Connor said and tapped Rhett on the shoulder while looking around, deep brown eyes full of wonderment.

‘’Did I impress you?’’ Rhett grinned. He noticed Connor hadn’t shaved that morning and he had a strong stubble, somehow the man looked even more handsome than before.

‘’Hell yeah,’’ Connor laughed. Rhett snickered at how Connor wasn’t his cool, normal self but was like everyone else, stunned by the luxury surrounding them.

Rhett left Connor to find a seat for himself and went further into the jet to find Bailey and Link sitting across from each other. Bailey was pushing all the buttons he could find on his seat armrest and Link was leaning in to see what happened when Bailey tested the buttons. Their curiosity was adorable.

‘’Oh my goodness!’’ Bailey suddenly exclaimed, causing Link to startle.

Bailey turned to look at Rhett. ‘’These freaking seats have a massage feature! Are you kidding me?!’’ He was basically shouting, making Rhett laugh once again,everyone else turning their heads towards them.

‘’Are you serious?’’ Link looked at Bailey and then at Rhett before trying the massage button himself. ‘’Wow!’’

‘’Sometimes it’s a long flight,’’ Rhett simply said smiling. He remembered how he had not known either when he had purchased the plane, but he had found the button on the first flight and his reaction had been similar to Bailey’s. He had been alone then, there was no one to share that little memory with.

‘’Only the best for my man!’’ Lucas basically jumped out of nowhere and hugged Rhett quickly from behind before skipping in front of him, flashing a huge smile.

Rhett laughed but quickly stopped when he saw Link glaring at Lucas. Rhett didn’t want to respond to it in any way to make the two fight again in a space where there was no escape. But it felt quite good that Link looked like he was jealous of him.

The captain of the plane interrupted the men’s bubbling chattering by asking them to find seats and get ready for take off. Rhett usually sat in the middle of the plane where there was something like a lounge. Besides himself and the contestants there were two cameramen and the producer on the plane, the only available seat for Rhett was next to Link. He had heard that everyone was whispering about he and Link already being an item and that no one else would have a chance with him. Rhett didn’t want to give that impression, making others jealous or feel bad so he would have sat beside someone else this time if he could. Lucas had been one of the last ones still standing up but the world would have turned upside down if he had sat beside Link so there were no other options for Rhett. Secretly he was happy that he couldn’t be blamed for sitting next to Link, but since there were no other options no one could say anything.

But as much as Rhett wanted to spend time with Link he still had eyes for others. Truthfully, he didn’t know Link that well, he just knew he liked to be with him and he was attracted to him but during the filming of the show he would keep his eyes open for other options too, only time would tell if Link was the right choice for him. He didn’t want to rush everything like he usually did.

Rhett tried to stop overthinking and making things too complicated and just sat in the seat beside Link when the captain made one last announcement for everyone to be in their seats.

Jeremy and Bailey sat in front of him and Link, pointing out details they kept finding on the plane. The newest discovery was that the panel beneath the window revealed a mini fridge with various sodas and tiny bottles of whiskey and vodka. Usually, when Rhett was alone the first thing he did was to get that tiny bottle of whiskey just because he liked it and he thought the tiny bottles looked cute, but this time he let it be.

They fastened their seatbelts as the plane began rolling on the runway. He noticed Link leaning into his seat and putting his hands on the armrests. The plane took off and Rhett could see Link was getting a little nervous, his nails dug into the armrests. He remembered Link talking about being on a plane before and the helicopter ride on their first date hadn’t made him nervous so it was surprising to see him like this now.

‘’You okay?’’ Rhett asked gently. Bailey and Jeremy were too busy looking out of the window to pay attention to their conversation.

Link relaxed a little when he turned to look at Rhett. ‘’Yeah, yeah, it’s just smaller than I’m used to,’’ Link nodded meaning the plane.

Rhett couldn’t help himself but answer: ‘’First time I heard that,’’ he chuckled.

Link raised his eyebrows at Rhett and rolled his eyes while smacking his arm lightly. ‘’Jerk,’’ Link whispered, but the little smile at the corners of his mouth said he was amused.

It caught Bailey’s and Jeremy’s attention, but Link just shook his head at them indicating it was nothing interesting. Rhett was just glad that not everyone had heard him.

‘’Made you relax,’’ Rhett added quietly.

‘’Thanks for that,’’ Link quickly grazed Rhett’s hand next to his with his pinky finger.

Finally they were in the air and they could unbuckle their seatbelts and move around a little. Link had let go of the armrest and Rhett was chatting with the other group of four on the other side of the aisle while Link chatted with Bailey. A moment later they were served a glass of champagne and they toasted as a celebration for the upcoming trip. Everything was going smoothly and Rhett enjoyed the flight. He wished he had more moments like this in life. He was always working, always busy, but now he felt like he was on vacation too, surrounded by friends and making new ones. He thought this was what life was supposed to be.

He turned to look at Link but saw he had fallen asleep, head resting against the wall, his mouth gaping open slightly, making his pouty lips look even more kissable than before. Rhett thought he hadn’t seen anything cuter in his life. The man sure had quite a skill to be able to fall asleep in a place and situation like that. He wished he could have taken a picture of Link like that, but he decided it was best not to. It was easy to imagine being with him, Link being his husband and the others being their friends, like other couples going on  a vacation together. He wished someday that would be true.

‘’He’s like that all the time,’’ Bailey said, nodding towards Link when Rhett gave him a questioning look. ‘’He can fall asleep no matter what. Once he closes his eyes, he’s gone,’’ he continued.

‘’Oh, that’s… handy,’’ Rhett said.

‘’I just wish I could be like that. I was up almost all night waiting for today,’’ Bailey spoke softly.

‘’Me too,’’ Jeremy agreed. ‘’But it would also help if my roommate didn’t snore so much,’’ he whispered.

‘’Lucas snores?’’ Bailey asked in a hushed tone.

‘’ _Shh_ , he already screamed at me for telling him,’’ Jeremy snickered. ‘’No need to make the queen upset on a plane.’’ Both men laughed quietly.

Rhett loved hearing these little tidbits from the contestants that he had not known before. Everyone had made connections and friends. It made Rhett sad that he would need to drop everyone out of the show one by one. The joy and chattering around him was perfect and eventually it would quiet down. Four contestants wouldn’t make it to the week after Hawaii and the flight to the next location would be quieter. Rhett decided not to think about it too much.

After a couple more hours the captain informed them they would soon arrive at their destination and that everyone should get ready for landing. Rhett nudged Link gently with his elbow to wake him up.

‘’Huh?’’ Link woke up with a startle and managed to kick Bailey on the shin in the process.

‘’Ouch!’’ Bailey yelped.

‘’Sorry, sorry,’’ Link said groggily, holding his hands up.

‘’I swear I’ll be covered in bruises after this,’’ Bailey muttered, fake pouting.

Once again Rhett looked at the two of them questioningly.

‘’He’s accidentally smacked and kicked me so many times during the last few weeks you wouldn’t believe,’’ Bailey clarified to Rhett.

‘’I said I was sorry!’’ Link tried, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

‘’Oh, like I accidentally got pushed into the pool last night?’’ Rhett asked, slightly amused to learn something new about Link.

‘’Hey! It was actually Lucas’ fault,’’ Link lowered his voice to say the last part.

_‘’What about me now?’’_ Lucas’ voice came from two rows back.

‘’Nothing!’’ All four of them said in unison.

‘’Oh, I see how it is!’’ Was Lucas’ response.

They waited for Lucas to come and start another fight with Link, but gladly it didn’t happen since the announcement to buckle their seatbelts came just in time.

‘’Well, we’re just glad Link didn’t come into the kitchen back in the mansion. So many things could’ve gone wrong, hot and sharp things, so many ways to injure us and himself,’’ Jeremy added, glancing and smiling at Link.

‘’Ha-ha, very funny,’’ Link acted like he was hurt.

Rhett was laughing during the conversation but at the same time he felt sad that these other men knew a lot more about Link than he did. They had been sharing their living space with him and spent time with him every day. Rhett felt like he was missing out. He would’ve gotten to know everyone better if he was able to live with them. This week would change that, they would be staying at the same resort. He would still have his own room though, a fantasy suite as the production team called it, and the others would have a room per two men. He would get to know everyone a little bit better.

Rhett assumed Link would be pairing up with Bailey since they had been sharing a room in the mansion and they seemed to be becoming good friends. But of course he didn’t know for sure if they were going to be roommates now. Link seemed to get along with everyone, except Lucas of course, and Bailey was clearly friends with everyone. Rhett admitted he was lovable, he had a huge soft spot for Bailey because of that.

**~~~*~~~**

The landing was surprisingly smooth but Link still held onto Rhett’s arm. Rhett liked that he had chosen him to hold on to him instead of the armrest this time. It was like every minute they spent together they grew a little closer.

As they left the plane there were two hula girls greeting them, placing flower leis around their necks.

‘’I thought this was only a movie thing,’’ Link said to Rhett while he received his own lei.

Rhett just smiled in response as he bent down a little to get his lei around his neck too.

They were led through the airport and then guided into a huge limousine. Everyone tried to ask Rhett what kind of place they were going to, but Rhett remained mysterious. He wanted it to be a surprise.

Since Rhett didn’t give them an answer the focus turned to the fancy car with another round of admiration and button pushing like on the plane. Rhett thought about how he had never played and fidgeted with the buttons or at least he didn’t remember being that enthusiastic about a limousine ride. The first time he had experienced a ride like this was when he had been alone, again no one to share the experience with. He needed to change that, he needed new experiences with a loved partner.

These men made his life seem cool and it made him feel excited. He could offer experiences like this if his partner wanted them, they could go around the world and explore together, make a life together with shared memories. Rhett was looking forward to that but mostly he was looking forward to spending nights at home with his loved one, just curled up on the couch and watching movies from their ridiculously big TV. He imagined Link being there, asleep in his lap, mouth gaping open like on the plane earlier. Then he would gently wake him up or pick him up and carry him to bed. Which reminded him that his back hadn’t been feeling too great after falling into the pool. It didn’t hurt but it was stiff. He hoped a couple of painkillers would do the trick and he wouldn’t need to worry about it during the trip.

They arrived at the hotel reserved for them. Everyone just looked at the place quietly, not sure what they should say. The front of the private resort wasn’t too spectacular. It looked like a little fancier than a normal, small hotel but not nearly as fancy as the mansion back in Los Angeles. Rhett knew that would change once they could see the ocean view. Rhett had visited the same place before and he too had been slightly disappointed seeing how small the place looked from the front, but once he got inside the situation had totally changed.

They got out of the car and approached the hotel. The weather was hot enough to make their clothes glue onto their skin immediately. The hotel staff greeted and welcomed them by the door, and the men sighed in relief when the air conditioned lobby embraced them. They were taking their sunglasses off when they noticed something. They nearly ran to the otherside of the huge open lobby once they saw the massive glass walls revealing the sight of the turquoise ocean framed by palm trees and colorful tropical flower bushes. Before the ocean was the biggest pool any of them had ever seen and its blue, still water contrasted against the ocean waves. There was nothing on the horizon, making it look like the sky and ocean melted together somewhere in the distance.

‘’Oh my freaking reality,’’ Rhett heard Link say as he walked closer to the view. He didn’t go to the windows with the other men but stayed back, stunned by the breathtaking view.

‘’Amazing, isn’t it?’’ Rhett said, walking beside Link.

‘’I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life,’’ Link continued, walking closer and joining the others who were also stunned by the view.

_Me neither,_ Rhett thought while he looked at Link instead of at the view. He didn’t dare to say it out loud, breaking the magical moment and getting the cameras right into his face. Link had on loose white shorts and a navy blue t-shirt with some sort of balloon print on the front. He had a blue and brown backpack and he was holding the straps tightly while looking around in childlike wonderment. It was hard to believe the man was almost the same age as Rhett. If he didn’t know he would’ve guessed Link was the same age as Bailey, in his mid twenties.

The time to choose their roommates came and unlike in the mansion, no one rushed to choose a room. Instead everyone was eyeing Rhett, wondering which room he would be staying in.

‘’Go ahead, choose your roommates,’’ Rhett encouraged them. ‘’There’s three rooms upstairs and two on this floor you can choose from,’’ He continued, not yet wanting to reveal where his suite would be.

‘’Wanna stay with me downstairs?’’ Jeremy yanked Bailey’s arm and pulled him to his side. Bailey hesitated and looked at Link, wondering what he should do. Link made a barely noticeable shrug. Rhett froze in place. _If Link wasn’t going to share with Bailey, then who?_

Bailey was too polite to say no, so he agreed to share a room with Jeremy. ‘’Sure, yeah,’’ he smiled.

Link started to look around and figure out who was remaining. He looked a little lost since he would be out of his comfort zone he had with Bailey. Rhett knew that Link wasn’t a fan of new situations since they had talked about it on their first date. Rhett wanted to offer himself but of course that wasn’t an option, they would have to wait for that one upcoming night.

Rhett’s face turned white when he saw who was left in the lobby without a roommate. _Connor._

‘’Looks like we’re roommates, buddy. I hope that’s alright with you?’’ Connor walked up to Link and put his hand on his shoulder, rubbing it with his thumb.

‘’Yeah, of course!’’ Link smiled up to the man.

Rhett gritted his teeth and tried to get rid of the jealousy building up inside of him. He liked both of them, he cared a lot for both of them, but knowing how charming those two were individually, and after the spa where they had been playful with each other, Rhett felt like there could possibly be something more than friendship between the two if they were left alone in a room in this gorgeous place.

‘’So, where are you staying, wanna tell us now?’’ Link asked, turning his smiling face towards Rhett.

Rhett collected himself quickly after the moment of shock. At first Rhett had thought it had been a great idea to not actually be in the hotel but _nearby._ He regretted that decision now.

‘’There,’’ he pointed out of the window.

‘’Huh? You gonna sleep outside?’’ Connor laughed.

‘’Look closer, right there,’’ Rhett walked closer to the window and pointed to a pretty hut standing on poles, built literally on the water. It was a nice, romantic and quiet place, perfect for a night with a lover, but that wouldn’t bring him comfort knowing Link and Connor would be spending every night in the same room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, those make me write faster. ;)


	8. The Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waterfalls, horseback riding, tropical island and good company. The day couldn’t be better but no day passes by without a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is The Bachelor without any drama? ;)

Everyone was settling in their rooms, including Rhett. He had never stayed in the overwater bungalow before, but had always wanted to. The place was just like he had imagined it: white curtains and linens on the king size bed that made the wooden hut look cozy. There was a small seating area before the bed and a bathroom with a bathtub big enough for two. A perfect hideout for lovers.

Rhett sighed deeply. He hopped on the bed, stretching out his stiff back for a moment. The contestants would be receiving a letter telling them they would all be dining together at the hotel’s restaurant and then there would be a little sightseeing tour. He was looking forward to that, he was looking forward to anything what would get Link out of the room he shared with Connor. Rhett felt silly even thinking about it, but he had seen the way Connor smiled at Link and the soft looks he gave to him. There was a chance he was overthinking it all, maybe Connor was just being nice to Link and wasn’t trying to hit on him.

There was a knock on his door. Rhett groaned as he pushed himself up from the bed. He wasn’t surprised to see the producer standing behind the door. He told Rhett the contestants were doing their interview spots for the show. Rhett would need to make one of his own later, just general thoughts about arriving in Hawaii and other things that viewers at home would not otherwise know.

‘’Remember this isn’t like back in the mansion, you can meet the contestants outside the arranged activities whenever you want,’’ the producer said.

‘’I’m looking forward to that,’’ Rhett nodded.

‘’There will be cameras and microphones out so as you know, everything we catch, we can use on the show.’’

Rhett gritted his teeth. He knew it was part of the deal but he had expected some privacy now that there were only ten contestants left.

‘’Even in here?’’ Rhett gestured toward the bungalow with his hands.

‘’Not in here but possibly outside. We won’t be outside on the boat filming or listening to everything but we will film from the shore so you might wanna shut your windows, you know… for more private moments.’’ The producer winked at him and Rhett felt himself blushing a little. This was the part he had hesitated over the most before applying for the show. He wanted to have sex but making it entertainment for a show made him a little uncomfortable. Kyle had said that he just needed to be sneaky, to make sure the windows were covered and not to be loud enough for microphones to catch it.

‘’Alright, alright, got it,’’ Rhett forced a smile to the producer, not really wanting to talk more about his intentions.

Rhett leaned on the door after the producer had left. He would be lying if he had said he hadn’t thought about it a lot. He knew the other bachelors on the show definitely had sex, maybe all of them, but they had been discreet about it and never revealed anything. Not that Rhett planned to tell anyone. Right now there was only one person he wanted to share a bed with, but he wasn’t sure if Link wanted the same thing. He seemed eager at times but he was uncomfortable whenever the cameras caught them and whenever they were near he behaved differently, more warily. The only time he had let his guard down was in the garden when they had gotten a little bit lost in the emotions, not even noticing he had lost his rose there.

Rhett remembered one conversation he had with Kyle before the show started. He had told Rhett that even if he felt strongly towards one person he should ‘’test’’ everyone he had a chance with. By testing he had of course meant having sex. Rhett didn’t agree with that logic, he was developing deep feelings for Link, it would make him feel bad if he were to go that far with anyone else. He thought Kyle might just be an asshole, it wasn’t the first time he had given  _ advice _ like that to Rhett.

~~~*~~~

Rhett got himself ready for dinner and hopped on his motorboat to get to the shore. The air was still as hot as it had been when they had arrived. Rhett had switched his clothes to a brimmed hat, sunglasses, a white henley with sleeves rolled to the elbow, beige shorts and dark brown flip flops. The bungalow wasn’t far from the shore but he enjoyed the short moment of breeze he got while driving there. It would take a couple of days to get used to the heat.

He tied his boat at the dock and suddenly he heard some wolf whistles coming from somewhere. He stood up and looked towards the pool and saw a few of the men waving at him. He waved back and snickered. It felt nice to be greeted that way, gorgeous men smiling and whistling at him. What could be better? He walked up the stairs to the pool area and noticed everyone else were there too. He stumbled on the last step of the stairs when he noticed Link laying shirtless on a sunchair.

‘’Whoops,’’ Rhett said, happy that he didn’t actually fall on his face. He found it funny that at first he had thought Link wasn’t his type but as the days went by the more attracted to him he became.

He saw Link raising his sunglasses and looking at him with curiosity. Rhett couldn’t help but let his eyes wander from Link’s broad shoulders to his narrow waist and hips. His mouth watered and he had to swallow at the sight of the thin layer of sweat glistening on Link’s abdomen. Oh, how much he wanted to run his tongue along that delicious skin. Rhett was glad he was wearing sunglasses so no one saw how intensely he looked at Link.

‘’This place is perfect, Rhett!’’ Bailey came to pat Rhett on the back

Rhett turned see Bailey wearing a t-shirt and shorts, the man usually preferred more fancy clothes and Rhett thought this might be the first time he saw Bailey without a bow tie. He noticed droplets of sweat forming on Bailey’s forehead. He couldn’t blame him, Rhett felt his shirt already clinging to his skin too.

‘’It really is, isn’t it?’’ He said and then continued, ‘’Anyone else hungry? I know I am.’’ It was more that he was looking forward to get into an air conditioned place than he eating.

He heard some agreeing replies from the contestants and slowly everyone started to move inside. He watched Link get up from his chair and put on the yellow t-shirt he had been using as a pillow.

‘’So, you got settled in fine?’’ Rhett asked as he walked beside Link.

‘’Yeah, yeah. The room here is much bigger than the one back at the mansion and the views here are spectacular but I can’t wait to see more of the island,’’ Link smiled.

‘’Well, I have planned something little for tonight to fix that,’’ Rhett put his arm around Link’s shoulders when everyone else had already gotten inside the hotel already.

‘’I bet you have… but…’’ Link stopped by the door and looked at his feet.

‘’But what?’’ Rhett tried to look him in the eyes.

‘’Will we have time alone too or does that part come later?’’ Link asked quietly.

‘’We will, soon, I promise,’’ Rhett gave a quick kiss to Link’s forehead and then opened the door. The others were probably already wondering what was taking them so long.

As Rhett stepped in he saw Bailey and Lucas having a heated conversation away from the others, stopping as soon as they noticed Rhett. It made him frown, he wanted to know what was going on. Lucas seemed to cause a lot of trouble lately. He decided to ignore it this time.

Soon they were called into the dining area which offered views of the ocean and mountains from its big windows. A long table for all of them was set and everyone started to take their places. Rhett took his place in the middle and Link sat on his side. Quickly he squeezed Link’s thigh under the table before starting to study the menu. He wasn’t that happy when he saw Connor sitting on the other side of Link and how they immediately started to talk with each other about what they would order. Jeremy sat on the other side of Rhett and he turned his attention to him, getting his mind off Link and Connor.

‘’Have you decided yet?’’ He asked gently, making Jeremy look at him.

‘’I’ve heard a lot about kalua pork but I don’t think I’ve ever actually tasted it,’’ Jeremy glanced at Rhett and then studied the menu again.

‘’It’s always a good choice,’’ Rhett replied, putting his menu down as the waiter started to take their orders.

He made small talk with Jeremy while they waited for their food.  He seemed to be a little shy, which Rhett didn’t mind. He found it cute. He looked a lot like Link without glasses and Rhett admitted he was attracted to Jeremy a little bit because of that. Every now and then he exchanged a few words with the others, but the dinner mostly went on without excessive babbling. The situation felt normal, like he had been having dinner with this group everyday of his life, it felt almost like a family. Just like on the plane, he sensed there were strong connections amongst the contestants and it wouldn’t be fun for anyone when he would have to let some of them go.

Rhett waited for everyone to finish their meals and then stood up, getting their attention.

‘’I hope everyone enjoyed their meal but the day isn’t over yet. Make sure you have something comfortable on and swimwear underneath if you wanna cool down on our trip to the waterfalls,’’ he raised his glass before sitting back down.

He felt Link touch his leg and he turned to him.

‘’That sounds like fun. I’ve been wanting to jump in the water in the minute we got here. Is it far away?’’ Link asked.

‘’Nah, just a little over half an hour. The horses should be ready for us soon,’’ Rhett replied.

‘’Horses?’’ Came Bailey’s voice from across the table.

‘’Yep, horses. I hope that isn’t a problem, the horses are docile if that helps,’’ Rhett smiled to him.

‘’I’ve never been on a horse,’’ Link said, his eyes wide and eyebrows crinkly from worry.

‘’I bet you’re not the only one,’’ he said. ‘’Anyone else here who hasn’t tried horseback riding?’’ Rhett glanced at everyone.

Almost everyone raised their hands, the only exceptions were Lucas and Connor, the latter one didn’t surprise Rhett at all, was there anything Connor had not already done at some point of his life?

‘’You’re familiar with horses?’’ Rhett asked Lucas since he didn’t seem like the type who got along with animals very well. He remembered Lucas complaining about birds being too loud their first night in the mansion.

‘’My uncle has a horse farm and I spent all my summers in there as a kid,’’ Lucas said proudly.

‘’Oh wow, nice,’’ Rhett answered.

‘’And all the time you spent there you played indoors until the last summer when you actually tried to ride a horse and fell off immediately and never went back. We remember the story you told the first week,’’ Link chuckled, tossing his napkin on the plate and making everyone laugh, except Lucas who looked mortified.

‘’I told that to Rick and Casey who aren’t even here anymore. Are you listening to my private conversations?’’ Lucas stood up and pointed at Link, clearly getting mad while everyone else were still snickering. It was clear no one was that fond of Lucas.

‘’Quite hard not to listen when you basically yell everything so nobody else can even have their own conversations but have to listen to you,’’ Link shrugged, winking at Bailey across the table.

Rhett was surprised how things escalated so quickly. Some of the contestants were throwing their hands in the air and leaving to go get ready for the trip, not wanting to be part of this conversation which was about to turn into a fight.

‘’Oh, yeah? Unlike you, Mr. Mysterious who never says a word but sneaks outside to talk with the production team. Yeah, we’ve seen that. Like, who even are you? Does he know?’’ He pointed at Rhett while still staring at Link.

‘’Link, don’t. You don’t have to answer anything,’’ Connor said to Link while turning him to face him.

‘’Is there something I should know about, Link?’’ Rhett asked curiously.

‘’It wasn’t anything, it only happened one time and it was before we got to know each other better,’’ Link turned to face Rhett.

‘’Could you leave us?’’ Rhett looked at Lucas. ‘’Please,’’ he added when he saw Lucas hesitating.

Lucas rolled his eyes and slowly left the room along with others.

‘’You too, Connor,’’ Rhett said.

Connor didn’t say anything, just nodded and patted Link’s shoulder before leaving.

‘’Link, what’s going on? I need to know,’’ Rhett sat in Connor’s seat which was facing Link’s.

‘’Rhett, I’m sorry. It was a stupid idea and I wouldn’t do it now but I asked if I could leave and they asked if I could wait until the morning to see if I would change my mind and I did. I thought no one saw that…’’ Link looked down, avoiding looking Rhett in the eye.

‘’You asked if you could leave the show?’’ Rhett asked, lifting Link’s chin up with his finger to meet his gaze.

‘’Yes,’’ Link looked like he was a little ashamed of the fact.

‘’When?’’ Rhett felt his heart wrench.

‘’After our first date,’’ Link moved back, away from Rhett’s touch.

‘’What? Why? I thought we had a great time together.’’ Rhett was shocked, he had thought the date with Link had gone more than just well.

‘’I know that now. I didn’t think you wanted anything more from me than to get into my pants, especially after giving me those tiny swim trunks. I just thought you really were the jerk I thought you were in the first place,’’ Link spoke quietly, not wanting to admit his deepest thoughts.

Rhett remembered the incredibly tiny mint green shorts, like he was even able to forget.

‘’Actually, I didn’t pick those swim trunks for you. You know the show gives stuff to the contestants,’’ Rhett said apologetically.

‘’I figured that out later,’’ Link smiled.

Something else had caught Rhett’s ear too. ‘’Wait, you said you thought I was a jerk even before we met?’’

‘’Well, I told you that I tried to get a job at your company and you didn’t even bother to interview me, someone else did and I didn’t get the job,’’ Link laughed nervously.

‘’Oh, right, forgot about that. Sorry.’’ Rhett bit his lip, he had thought about that conversation many times and how differently things could have gone if he had met Link then.

‘’Well, now I wonder why you kissed me on our first date if you thought I was a jerk?’’ Rhett knew he was asking too many questions but he hadn’t had the chance before.

‘’Why not? It’s entertainment after all…, I felt like it at the moment. You looked so stupid and cute and kinda not knowing what to do so I guessed it would break the tension a little. What a show if the bachelor was rejected on the first date,’’ Link raised his hand to stroke Rhett’s bearded cheek.

Rhett laughed at that, Link had a point but it still didn’t explain everything.

‘’Link,’’ Rhett took his hand between his own and stroked it a little. ‘’If you didn’t like me, why did you come here at all?’’ He got more serious, he deserved to know.

Link shook his head, smiling a little. ‘’You ask way too many questions. Rhett, I’m here now. I like you a lot. A lot lot, I want to spend time with you, I want to have fun with you so let’s just enjoy our time here, okay? We can talk later if you really want to, but right now you don’t want to keep the others waiting for us again, right?’’ Link leaned in and before Rhett could protest he gave him a soft, quick kiss on the lips before getting up from the chair.

‘’Link…’’ Rhett tried again.

‘’I need to go put my swim trunks on underneath my clothes, so I’ll meet you outside,’’ Link hurried out of the dining room.

Rhett saw right through him this time, he knew Link avoided answering his question but he was glad Link had at least said something and opened up a little about his true feelings. He knew now that Link had put on an act on their first date for the camera or something like that. He had sensed it on some level, he had done it too but he had no secrets about why he was here. He was truly here to find a life companion but Link’s reason seemed to be too complicated to explain in a short amount of time.

Rhett assured himself the right time would come. The plan for the first ‘’Fantasy Suite Date’’ was set to be the next day and of course Link would be his first date. Link didn’t know it yet and he wouldn’t until the next day when the Bachelor style letter would arrive to tell him so. Rhett had many plans but now it was more important for  him to have a talk with Link.

Slowly he rose from his seat and thanked the waiter collecting their plates and joined the others outside. Almost everyone was there already. He chatted with Bailey who was seemingly nervous about meeting the horses. Rhett tried his best to calm him down by assuring him everything would be fine. He pulled Bailey into a hug when it looked like he was about to cry and he noticed how Lucas looked down his nose at them. Rhett let go of Bailey, he didn’t need yet another fight to break out.

Finally they started to hear something coming down the road, sounds of horse hooves on the dirt road were approaching them and soon they saw three men on horses and ten horses without riders behind them. The scene was almost dramatic, like wild horses and cowboys in the waving hot air in some western film except there were palm trees and tropical plants framing the road but Rhett was sure that would look great on the TV screen.

Rhett heard the front door open and he saw Link and Connor come out. Connor whispered something in Link’s ear and then he heard Connor saying ‘’It’s gonna be okay,’’ while Link smiled widely at him. Rhett felt a little sting in his heart but it stopped as soon as Link walked beside him and saw the horses coming.

‘’Wow, that’s a lot of horses,’’ Link said.

‘’Yep,’’ Rhett said dryly. He took a little distance from Link and walked in front of the contestants. He wasn’t quite sure why he did that, probably because he wanted Link to feel the same thing he did, rejected on some level.

The men riding the horses dismounted when they were directly in front of the contestants. The cameras were getting closer and taking good angles as one of the men introduced themselves to Rhett. They gave brief information on how to handle the horses and then started to help the men up on their horses’ backs.

‘’This one is for you, sir,’’ The handler gestured the biggest horse they had. It was completely white one with long, flowing mane.

‘’Like you needed that ego booster,’’ Rhett heard Jeremy laugh beside him.

‘’Oh, right, that sure is a handsome horse,’’ Rhett agreed. He liked how Jeremy smiled, it was a warm smile. He liked him a little bit more. He needed someone to get him off of his high horse from time to time, literally.

Then Rhett saw Bailey beside the smallest brown horse which had a butterfly shaped marking on his forehead. He went to help get Bailey on the horse and he told one of the guides that they should keep an eye on him since he was a little scared of horses. Next he searched for Link and saw he was already on a black horse, ready to go with Connor right behind him on a palomino.

‘’Oh gosh, Rhett, please don’t leave me!’’ Bailey screamed when the horse took one step forward.

‘’Everything will be fine, you’re not gonna fall, okay? I’ll go get on my horse and I’ll ride with you,’’ Rhett hollered and jogged to his horse. He had ridden many times before so it wasn’t difficult to get on the horse. But when he got up he noticed someone still hadn’t joined them yet.

‘’Lucas?’’ He asked.

‘’I- I think I’ll have to pass on this one. I just… Too many bad memories, forgive me.’’ Rhett didn’t get to say anything before Lucas ran inside.

_ I guess I need to talk with him later too. _ Rhett sighed, he wouldn’t go and make him come outside now, the others were already anxious to leave and the cameras and everything were set to go.

‘’Okay Bailey, come here,’’ Rhett said gently and watched how Bailey’s whole body tensed when the horse began to move towards Rhett and the trail. ‘’You’re fine, you’re doing amazing, just relax. See, it’s not that hard,’’ Rhett encouraged him. At that point he saw Link coming to them and going to Bailey.

‘’Hey, you’re doing great. Look at me, I haven’t been on a horse before either but Connor said they wouldn’t put us on these things if they were wild. They don’t want to get us hurt,’’ Link rode close enough to actually touch Bailey’s arm a little.

Rhett rolled his eyes.  _ Connor, Connor, Connor. Connor this, Connor that. _

‘’You’ve never been on a horse either? But you look like a pro,’’ Bailey’s eyes brightened as he looked at Link.

‘’No man, just trust yourself. If I can do it, you definitely can,’’ Link assured him.

The group started to move towards the mountains and Rhett drifted somewhere in the middle of the group with Jeremy and a couple of others he had not interacted a whole lot with yet. Bailey and Link were behind him together and Connor and the others were in front, a little further away from the six of them.

They all chatted a little and kept an eye on Bailey, everyone was worried about him even though the horse he was riding looked calm. Rhett liked how everyone was friends with Bailey and wanted to make sure he was okay. No one had mentioned Lucas not being in the group at all, but Rhett had been the only one to see him go back inside. That was one thing he needed to talk with Lucas about and possibly with the producer, he didn’t want to believe Lucas was that terrible, he just had a passionate crush on Rhett. But maybe that was his ego talking again and not his common sense.

When they entered the woods the air didn’t feel so scorching hot anymore so they could enjoy the tropical path towards the noise of the waterfalls. This was a place everyone could forget their worries and just admire nature at its finest. It was like the world back home didn’t even exist anymore, there was just birds singing, joyful chattering, and calmness surrounding them. Rhett felt like home, but for a moment he thought it would have been even better if it were just he and Link there, in love, heading towards adventures together.

The first group started to slow down as they came to the top of the small hill and Rhett knew then they had arrived. He could hear the waterfall louder and slowly he began to see what the others were looking at. Two long streams of water fell from a cliff to a big pool of water beneath, it was like an oasis but nothing like the oasis he had been to on his date with Link. This one was lush and colorful, a true paradise. He hopped off his horse and walked closer. One of the handlers took his horse but Rhett stayed put while waiting for Bailey and Link. The others were already going towards the lake and dipping their toes into the water to test it out before getting out of their clothes and fully entering the warm water.

‘’You made it!’’ Rhett said when the last two contestants arrived. Link hopped off his horse easily but Bailey slid off his horse more carefully.

‘’Jesus Christ, my legs are not meant to be spread that wide,’’ He said while rubbing his inner thighs. Rhett held himself back for not commenting how his hips weren’t as wide as the horse’s back was.

Link chuckled at Bailey’s comment and went to pat his back. ‘’You just need some practice, boy,’’

‘’Shut up, I know what you’re thinking,’’ Bailey hushed him but then chuckled too.

Rhett smiled at the two of them. He wished that no matter what happened they would stay friends, everyone needed someone like Bailey in their life, he was so sincere. He gave them some space and walked over to the other men. Most of them were already in the water, cooling off and enjoying themselves. The paradise was complete now, a tropical lake full of hot, half nude men, it was like something from a teenage Rhett’s dream.

He saw Connor sitting on one of the bigger rocks by the lake and went to him. The man was without a shirt but he still had his shorts on and his legs were in the water, making small circles. As always, the man looked like a model from a catalogue. Seeing Connor there alone made him forget all the jealousy he had felt before, he still liked Connor and he sure liked his looks. He went to sit beside him.

‘’Hi,’’ he started.

‘’Hi to you too,’’ Connor replied, shielding his eyes from the sun as he turned to look at Rhett.

‘’Hey, I uh… I’m sorry if I’ve been acting weird around you lately, dunno if you’ve noticed,’’  Rhett started warily.

‘’I have. It’s okay, Rhett. Everything about this is difficult, especially for you. I mean… previously the bachelors didn’t exactly have to be afraid the contestants falling for each other,’’ Connor spoke softly and then turned to look at the men playing in the water like kids on the first day of summer break.

‘’Hmh, you’re always so sensible and thoughtful, I wish I had those qualities,’’ Rhett leaned a little closer to him.

‘’You do, you’re a smart and kind man, Rhett,’’ Connor put his arm around Rhett’s shoulders and pulled him closer for a quick sideways hug.

Soon Rhett saw Link and Bailey joining the others and Link starting to take off his clothes.

‘’So, has that happened to you, are you attracted to someone else here?’’ Rhett asked, then glancing at Link and then looking at Connor.

‘’What? You mean..? No, Link and I are just friends,’’ Connor said quietly. Rhett felt like there was something more to it, he didn’t know why exactly but something in the tone of Connor’s voice told him there could be something he didn’t tell Rhett.

‘’Hey! You two! Are you just gonna sit there all day?’’ Link hollered.

Rhett glanced at Link at first but then once more, this time fully staring. Link was wearing the same mint green swim trunks that they had talked about before, the ones which left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

‘’You too, why are you still standing there?’’ He playfully nudged Bailey before jumping into the water.

‘’He’s right, why are we just sitting here?’’ Connor asked and stood up, he dropped his shorts and jumped in the water, joining the other men.

For the second time that day Rhett was left without full answers. Link was hiding something, now Connor was hiding something too. It was irritating to not know what but it wouldn’t look good if he started to demand answers in everyone’s presence. The best he could do at the moment was to join the others in the water. He got close to Link and he felt tempted to steal a few kisses from him but held himself back, this time it felt more natural to be in the water with him, even with the cameras being around. He knew Link better and his smile and giggles brightened the already sunny day. He couldn’t give Link kisses while the others were around, but a couple of times he snuck close enough to squeeze his butt under the water making Link giggle louder. 

Despite the few unsatisfying conversations, he thoroughly enjoyed the day along with the others.

~~~*~~~

It was already dark when Rhett got back to his bungalow. He had said his goodnights to the contestants and had gotten one sneaky kiss from Link by the pool before leaving.

He loved how he and Link were slowly becoming an item. Link was finally more open, he had huge hopes for spending the next day with him. He had planned other activities for the contestants as well as some special ones for him and Link and later that night Link would share the bungalow with him. Rhett was so excited he was sure he wouldn’t be able to sleep, so before getting ready for bed he took a beer from the mini fridge and went to the porch which was lit with a colorful light chain while not making the area too bright, just lit enough to see.

While he sipped his beer he listened to the waves hitting the poles holding the bungalow. The images from the waterfall flooded his mind. Bailey’s cute belly he was desperately trying to hide, Connor’s strong arms when he lifted Bailey easily up from the ground and carried him to the water while others came to splash water at them. Link trying to get away from splashing water, his swim trunks hanging dangerously low on his slim hips. Rhett felt himself getting excited and it was a sign he would need to get back to the hut before some insidious camera could catch him.

He finished his beer, brushed his teeth and changed out of his sweaty clothes to a fresh pair of boxers and t-shirt. It felt a little hot so he turned on the ceiling fan before getting in bed. He turned the last light off and closed his eyes, hoping he would fall asleep easily.

For several minutes he just lay there, imagining the days to come when he heard a faint knock on his door. He sat up in bed and waited to hear it again, at first he thought maybe he had just imagined it. But then it was there again. He flicked the bedside lamp on and slid out of bed. He was getting butterflies in his stomach. He guessed it would be Link, who else could it be?  _ Oh gosh, is this gonna happen tonight?  _ He put a hand in front of his mouth and exhaled to test if his breath smelled. He decided it was good enough and opened the door to welcome Link with open arms.

‘’I didn’t expect to see you ton-’’ Rhett stopped the sentence short because who really was behind the door was a total surprise.

‘’Of course you didn’t, big guy!’’ Lucas pushed past him and let himself inside Rhett’s bungalow. The skinny man was wearing a silky night robe and Rhett just hoped he had something on underneath it.

‘’Lucas!’’

‘’Yes, it’s me, baby. Sorry, I couldn’t couldn’t come on the little trip with all of you but I will make up for it now!’’ He blared dramatically.

Rhett backed away, he didn’t want or need this. He was trying to think of how he could get rid of Lucas without waking everyone up but that seemed to be impossible. Lucas clinged to his t-shirt and swung them around, pushing Rhett onto the bed. Rhett was surprised how easily Lucas managed to do that since he was twice his size.

‘’Lucas! Please stop! Listen!’’ Rhett sat up and held Lucas back from his shoulders.

‘’This is a very bad idea and you should go back to the hotel immediately.’’ Rhett tried to talk some sense to him. How he had even gotten there? Rhett hadn’t heard a motorboat arriving. The thought of that made him realize he was right at the moment hearing one outside.

‘’Oh gosh, they’re here, the cameramen, dang it, don’t they ever sleep,’’ Rhett was struggling to get up but the long day had his back felt even more stiff than normal. His only option would’ve been to toss Lucas off of him, which he could’ve easily done since Lucas was a small, thin man but he didn’t exactly want to hurt him and tried to talk some sense to him but it didn’t stop from Lucas climbing on him.

‘’Well, let’s give them to something to see then. I want everyone to know how much I love you,’’ Lucas cooed, in a much softer voice than before.

It made Rhett stop struggling for a moment. _Love?_ _Did he just say love?_ He was stunned, he couldn’t move, it had been so long since he had heard those words. If only it was mutual…

‘’Oh, this is why he wasn’t on the trip with us. Well, have fucking fun rest of the night. For a moment I thought you weren’t the jerk you looked like,’’ came Link’s voice from the doorframe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :O
> 
> ~Sorry~


	9. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Link ready to meet Rhett after what he saw?

_ ‘’Link! Wait, please!’’ Rhett yelled after Link. He pushed Lucas off of him, not caring if he hurt him anymore. He needed to catch Link and tell him nothing had happened between them. _

_ ‘’Do what you want, I’m out!’’ Link yelled back. He was already on the motorboat when Rhett got outside, ready to leave. _

_ ‘’Link, I-’’ Rhett started, not knowing what to say. He hadn’t returned Lucas’ advances but he knew how it had looked when Link walked in. He needed to find the right words. _

_ Link raised his gaze in the dim light and Rhett saw how disappointed he was, Rhett felt his heart break. For a split second they looked at each other not saying another word and then Link started the boat. He was gone before Rhett could explain anything. _

**~~~*~~~**

Everything that happened afterward was foggy in Rhett’s memory. He had demanded Lucas leave the island right away and that was the last he saw of him. There had been cursing and yelling from Lucas but none of that mattered, all Rhett could think about was Link. Rhett had wanted to see Link and talk to him but the producer had assured him he should wait until the next day. Every other contestant didn’t need to know what had happened overnight.

Rhett saw a light in Link’s window and wondered if he had told Connor, his roommate, what he had seen. Or did he tell him that he was sneaking out to go meet Rhett at all? He had so many questions and a burning urge to talk things through, but he couldn’t yet. He assured himself it was a good thing, at least he could figure out the right words to say.

It was a miracle Rhett was able to sleep at all that night, he couldn’t think about anything else other than Link’s disappointed face and how he didn’t want to make Link feel like that ever again. It made Rhett’s heart ache to think he had hurt Link, that he was the cause of why Link wasn’t smiling anymore.

Even though he was tired, Rhett had never gotten dressed so quickly in his life; he was anxious to meet Link at their date. The letter to the contestants would arrive while they were eating breakfast telling them about the day’s events and Rhett would be taken to a beautiful vantage point where he would meet Link, his date of choice for the whole day.

Rhett looked at the breakfast that was served to him but he wasn’t hungry, he couldn’t eat before knowing Link was alright. This had never happened before, no matter what the situation was he was always able to eat, but this time he just felt nauseous even looking at food. Link’s happiness was far more important. He realized it must’ve meant something, that he was falling in love. He’d had relationships before but he didn't remember ever feeling like this. He needed to make everything right and see Link’s beautiful smile once again.

Another thing Rhett wished for was to be able to see and hear the conversation at the breakfast table when the others noticed Lucas wasn’t there anymore. A couple of members of the production team had packed Lucas’ bags in the middle of the night, not giving him a chance to tell the others what had happened. Not even his roommate would have known why Lucas never came back last night. As mad as he was at Lucas, Rhett still thought he should have been able to say goodbyes to the others. But it wasn’t his call, it was the production team’s. Rhett guessed it was because the team had noticed Rhett’s crush on Link and how he wanted to spend most of his time with him. They needed to make a show and keep the viewers guessing who he would choose in the end after all.

Rhett looked up to the hotel at the shore from the porch of his bungalow. The place looked like paradise but it didn’t feel like it. In one day the best place on earth for him had become the worst. He had watched the show before and every trip they made had looked so wonderful and joy filled, but that was far from what he was experiencing. Right now he should be sipping a tropical drink by the pool while being surrounded by handsome men. That was the image he’d had in his head, or at least the image Kyle had planted in his head before applying for the show. Rhett had joined because he wanted to find someone special, but still the image had been nice.

Now that dream was gone and he wanted nothing more than to make things right with Link. It hurt the most to know that Link had been coming to him for a secret late night visit outside of everyone’s radar, they could have had an amazing night together without anyone knowing about it   _ A hot, passionate night of sex and love… Sweaty bodies tangling in fresh, white sheets… Link’s giggles filling the room and his eyes sparkling just for him.  _ Rhett’s imagination ran wild. It wasn’t just about the sex either. He had just wanted to to be with Link, to have a drink with him without anyone watching, to get to know him better and talk about things neither of them would in front of the cameras. He felt comfortable when Link was near.

Rhett sighed deeply. He had wished to find someone special from the show but he hadn’t actually thought about it happening. Now he had to deal with a new set of all kinds of emotions and show them to the whole world through the camera lense. He had thought it would be easy and deeper feelings would come when the cameras weren’t rolling anymore. He was a public person but he had always kept his private life to himself and thankfully the media was usually just interested in his work. All of that would be gone now, people would be interested in his love life, he hadn’t even thought about that before. He would have second guessed joining the show if he had known, but then he wouldn’t have met Link. For Link he would do everything again.

Rhett hopped on his boat and arrived to the shore where the camera crew was already waiting for him. They had done a couple of interviews about the current situation for the show before heading to the next shooting location. During the interviews Rhett kept looking at the hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of Link or even Bailey, someone he could ask how the situation was at the hotel. No one on the crew knew and the producer was somewhere else, probably with the contestants, so he wasn’t there to enlighten Rhett either. Minute by minute the urge to talk with Link grew.

When the crew was finished getting all the footage needed of Rhett they began heading to the next location. They were going to a small meadow beyond the mountains where Rhett had hiked a couple of times before and had seen many colorful hot air balloons floating in the sky. It had been an impressive sight Rhett would never forget. Since that day he’d always wanted to sail in a hot air balloon, but going alone seemed a little sad so he had just settled for watching them from the ground. He feared he wouldn’t be able to experience it now either if Link didn’t show up for their date.

Rhett wrapped his arms around himself for comfort when he stepped out of the car, he saw that the production team had made a little seating area with huge sun umbrellas, cold drinks, snacks, and fresh flower arrangements by the meadow.

He took a seat and waited for Link to arrive. He wanted to explain everything, make Link understand that nothing had happened with Lucas, but minutes passed and he was still sitting alone. It was normal to have to wait long times between shooting but after almost fifteen minutes the camera crew also started to look around for some signs of Link. Chris, the host of the show, came to him and started talking with him. It was obvious he didn’t know what was happening either and was just trying to kill time and keep Rhett calm.

_ What if he doesn’t come? What if he left too? _

Rhett began to get very nervous, droplets of sweat formed on his forehead and he drummed his knees with his fingers. He got up from his seat and looked at the crew but they just gave him shrugs. Chris’ phone started to ring and he answered casually. Rhett looked, trying to figure out what was going on. The call ended and he motioned for Rhett to sit down.

‘’He’s coming,’’ Chris said, patting Rhett’s shoulder before getting out of the way.

A minute more and he finally saw Link walking towards him from a distance. Rhett sighed in relief and his heart started pounding fast. Finally he would be able to tell him everything.

He stood up again, too anxious to stay still. He knew all the cameras were pointed at the seating area and he was supposed to be patient but he just couldn’t wait to meet Link and he started walking towards him to greet him faster.

Both of them stopped walking when they were only a couple of feet away from each other. Link’s eyes shone bright in the sunlight, competing with the blue of the sky, but the look on his face was worried and somehow sad, Rhett felt his stomach turn. He was afraid of what Link might say so he spoke first.

‘’Hey…’’ He smiled. ‘’I was dying to see you and, Link, last night was… nothing happened. I hope you believe me.’’ Rhett spoke softly, almost as if he raised his voice the slightest bit he would scare Link away. For the same reason he didn’t touch him, even when he really wanted to hug him, he just didn’t dare yet.

Link took a deep breath, he looked away from Rhett when he spoke: ‘’I know. Sending him home proved that.’’

Rhett felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. ‘’I’m happy you’re here now,’’ he said, putting his finger under Link’s chin and gently lifting it up.

Link looked deep into his eyes, Rhett felt like he was staring right into his soul and he could see everything inside him. Rhett didn’t mind baring himself that way, he felt like he had nothing to hide from Link and he wished Link would feel it too.

‘’I’m sorry about what I said yesterday, you’re not a jerk, I just needed to get away… Actually… Could we get  out of the sun?’’ Link shielded his head with his hand which probably didn’t help much but it looked adorable when he did it.

‘’Oh! Of course, yes,’’ Rhett stepped aside and they began walking to the seating area. Rhett noticed Link had put his hands in his pockets so he couldn’t hold his hand. It was probably nothing, at least that’s what he hoped.

Link sat on one of the big chairs and Rhett poured him a glass of ice water, the last thing they needed now was heatstroke.

‘’It really is a hot day,’’ Rhett tried to make small talk while Link sipped some of the water.

‘’Yeah…’’ Link put his glass down and looked around. ‘’Rhett, this isn’t easy to say, but after thinking about it a lot I just feel like I need to be more open, more honest.’’ The tone of Link’s voice was serious.

‘’Okay,’’ Rhett’s heart was pounding even faster and he felt like he was detaching from his body and he was watching the scene instead living in it. He was afraid Link was going to say he was going to leave or that he didn’t really like Rhett that way and it was all a huge act, all kinds of scenarios of how things could go wrong went through his head.

Before Link could say more he went closer and put his hand on Link’s knee, hoping the other man would somehow understand how much he cared about him. To Rhett’s joy, Link put his hand over Rhett’s and kept it there.

‘’I wasn’t even sure why I went there yesterday until I saw you and him… in bed together.’’ Link paused for a moment and glanced at Rhett. 

‘’It hurt. It hurt a lot and I got scared because… if it hurts that much it means my feelings for you are stronger than just the silly crush I thought it was,’’ Link then looked at him, Rhett knew then Link was worried whether Rhett felt as strongly. Rhett felt almost like laughing, he was so happy that all of his negative theories had been wrong.

‘’Link, I-’’ Rhett started with a smile but was soon interrupted.

‘’Let me finish.’’ Link squeezed Rhett’s hand which was still on Link’s knee.

‘’I know there are a lot of gorgeous and great men here and I can’t even begin to imagine what you might be feeling or do you even know yourself-’’

Rhett was thrilled to know Link had deeper feelings for him too, especially when he had feared it might be the opposite, as much as he loved Link's endless babbling about it he couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed Link by the back of his neck and put his other hand on the man’s cheek and pulled him in for a hungry kiss, melting into it when Link responded after a little delay of being surprised.

‘’Sorry, I just had to make you shut up,’’ Rhett then winked and smiled shyly before continuing: ‘’I know what I feel, I haven’t proven it yet, but I will today if you let me take you on the date of a lifetime, if I do say so myself,’’ Rhett was gaining his confidence back when he saw a hint of a smile on Link’s face.

‘’I would like that.’’ Link let go of Rhett’s hand. ‘’Sorry I didn’t stay last night, but knowing Lucas it would’ve turned into a huge fight and then that footage would’ve been spread around the internet for the next decade,’’ Link rolled his eyes.

Rhett chuckled, Link had a point there, ‘’Yeah probably, but enough about that dude, our ride seems to be arriving.’’ Rhett nodded up to the sky and at the big, red, hot air balloon approaching behind Link’s back. He placed his hand on Link’s upper back, encouraging him to turn and take a look. It was nice to be comfortable with Link again.

Link turned his head to see what Rhett was looking at. ‘’You. Gotta. Be. Kidding. Me,’’ Link punctuated every word.

‘’You don’t like it?’’ Rhett frowned.

‘’I freaking love it! I’ve always wanted to try riding in one of those!’’ Link got up from his seat and turned to look at the balloon landing.

‘’Me too,’’ Rhett simply said.

‘’You’re telling me this is your first time too?’’ Link turned to look at Rhett, clearly wondering if there could be anything at all that Rhett had not already experienced.

‘’Honestly, I’m a virgin,’’ Rhett said with a poker face.

The look Link gave him made Rhett laugh out loud. It was a mix of _ ‘’I can’t believe you just said that’’ _ and  _ ‘’I don’t want to laugh at that stupid joke but it’s very difficult to hold back’’ _ .

‘’Hot air balloon virgin,’’ Rhett corrected himself.

Link quickly rolled his eyes and then the massive balloon was floating just a couple of inches from the ground.

‘’Wow, I never realized how huge the basket actually is, it can hold like a dozen people,’’ Link said as he ran his hand over the rim of the basket.

‘’Okay, let’s get this date going and have fun. We’ve had enough serious talk for the day,’’ Rhett said and instantly after he had said that he noticed Link tense up.

‘’Unless there was something else you wanna tell me?’’ He continued. If Link wanted to share some more of his thoughts of course he would listen to him, it had just looked like they were both ready to move on to other things.

‘’No, no, I just got a little nervous about thinking how high up this thing goes,’’ Link said and then stepped into the basket. Rhett noticed Link’s shifty eyes but he was sure he would have told him if it was something important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it took so long to update! :S   
> I hope you enjoyed and next chapter is gonna be all about their date. ;)


	10. The Fantasy Suite Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for the big date with Link after they finally talked things through but Link still hasn’t told everything to Rhett. Is he ready to do it now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rating has gone up with this chapter!

The pilot welcomed them into the basket of the hot air balloon but as soon as it rose only a couple of inches from the ground Rhett realized it might have been a bad idea. He wasn’t exactly comfortable with heights and now he was in a basket carried by a gigantic balloon and fire. He tried to hide his nervousness but he couldn’t look down like Link was doing at the moment.

Link seemed to be enjoying himself while Rhett felt sweat forming on his forehead from fear as the balloon rose higher.

‘’This is amazing!’’ Link turned around to see if Rhett agreed with him but the expression on his face changed when he saw the terror in Rhett’s eyes.

‘’Are you scared of heights?’’ Link tried not to show how much he was smiling by covering his mouth with his hand.

Rhett pressed his back against the edge of the basket and grabbed it with both hands, trying to make it look like he was being casual about the situation. ‘’Of course not,’’ Rhett rolled his eyes like Link had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world even though he was nearly dying on the inside.

‘’I think you are,’’ Link teased and suddenly poked Rhett on the belly, making the man startle and grab the edges even harder, fearing he would fall.

‘’Don’t!’’ He yelled and Link immediately started to laugh.

‘’Aww, you’re such a big baby, we’re not gonna fall,’’ Link said softly. He wrapped his arms around him, pressing his head against Rhett’s chest, probably hearing his loud heart beating rapidly.

Rhett had to admit he felt a lot better already. Link had a comforting effect on him, something he had not experienced since growing up. ‘’Thanks for mentioning falling,’’ Rhett said sarcastically but still wrapped his arms around Link too. He kissed the top of his head and Link lifted his chin up, looking into Rhett’s eyes while smiling.

‘’You’re cute,’’ Link whispered and reached up to give Rhett a delicate kiss.

‘’So are you,’’ Rhett said and stroked Link’s back.

Finally, Rhett dared to look down at the view below them a little. He was still somewhat nervous but they were floating calmly in the air, not going too fast or unsteadily. It was nothing like being on a plane, he could actually feel the breeze and smell the fresh air being so high above the ground. He still thought that looking at the balloons from the ground was a better option for him and this would remain a once in a lifetime type of experience.

‘’I can see our hotel,’’ Link said and pointed in its direction. ‘’It looks so small,’’ he continued.

Rhett nodded in agreement. Kauai was such a beautiful place; the glimmering ocean was a breathtaking sight, mountains lining the water in a picture perfect way. Still, Rhett found himself thinking Link’s eyes were more beautiful than any ocean could ever be. When Link let go of him, he reached down to the cooler on the floor and took out two glasses and a bottle of champagne. He handed the glasses to Link and started to open the bottle.

‘’Careful!’’ Link said, shielding his face from the cork.

Rhett aimed the bottle into the open air and with a loud pop the cork flew somewhere out of sight. Champagne started streaming from the bottle and Rhett hurried to pour it in the glasses. ‘’Woah!’’

‘’You got it on my shoes,’’ Link giggled.

‘’Sorry,’’ Rhett said and put the bottle away to grab one of the glasses from Link’s hand. They clinked their glasses together and both of them took a sip of the cooled drink. They didn’t speak much but Rhett wrapped his arms around Link’s waist as they admired the views of green hills giving way to rugged coastline. The only thing that  could make the situation more romantic was if the cameraman and sound guy weren’t constantly shoving their equipment into their faces. It had gotten easier to ignore the crew over days of filming but Rhett wasn’t totally comfortable with them yet.

They emptied the bottle and just when he thought Link couldn’t be any cuter, Rhett noticed Link was a little tipsy and giggling at basically everything he said. Rhett had a huge crush on Link and he didn’t mind everyone seeing how much he wanted to spend time with him, to hold him and kiss him. Rhett could see the episode teasers showing a clip of them making out every day before each episode. He would be slightly embarrassed knowing everyone he knew would be seeing how drunk in love he was with the dark haired man with a weird name. He was self-conscious about how it all looked but still he wanted nothing more than to pull Link into his lap and touch him everywhere and he wanted Link do the same to him. He grabbed Link again for a kiss and it was a lot messier than the other ones had been because of the champagne and from the high of being on a ride high above the ground.

The hot air balloon ride came to an end and they approached the ground and the next activity Rhett had planned. The landing was gentle but they still held each other for support.

Rhett’s legs shook a little when he was finally on the ground again and not in an unstable basket in the air. He felt like all the tension he had was released, that or it was the champagne, he couldn’t tell which. All he knew was that he was safe now and his date with Link was still going strong.

They had landed near Nawiliwili Harbor which was mostly a home for smaller boats and beautiful, private cruise ships. Rhett owned a small yacht himself but he hadn’t brought it with them because it would’ve been too much work for just one day, instead they had one rented one for him and Link. He wished it could be just the two of them on board but there would be two cameramen, a sound guy, and the captain along with them. He thought he could take Link on a private cruise later when they were back home again and he could be the captain, he liked the idea of Link calling him that. In his mind he had already chosen Link, he just needed to get through the show without being completely obvious about it for the sake of entertainment.

‘’Oh no, I haven’t been on a boat before, what if I get seasick?’’ Link said, hesitating stepping onto the yacht.

‘’Then we’ll just go back on land,’’ Rhett said calmly and offered his hand to Link so he could step over the low railing and get into the boat with him. ‘’I would never want to hurt you,’’ he continued with a gentle voice.

Rhett thought he saw Link blushing a little and as soon Link was on the boat he leaned on Rhett and whispered into his ear: ‘’What if I want you to?’’ He pulled away quickly and winked at Rhett before going towards the seating area on the deck.

Rhett was stunned for a moment, processing what Link said to him. He had teased Link before with innuendos but what Link had said was more than that. ‘’Oh,’’ Rhett said smiling but left it there, hoping the crew hadn’t heard what Link had just said. Not everything they said needed to be on the show.

He joined Link in the seating area where the captain greeted them. They had various beverages and snacks served to them while their sightseeing tour took them to the caves along the beach. The water was bright turquoise, so clear they could see colorful fish swimming near the boat. They explored the bigger caves where the yacht could fit and they took turns yelling into the cave to hear their voices echo. Rhett felt like a kid again, finding exciting things with the best friend he never had growing up. These few days with Link, especially the last few hours, had made up for a lot of loneliness he had felt in his younger years. Seeing Link’s smile and hearing him laugh made him immediately laugh too. He just knew he would never get enough of it, he wanted to make Link laugh everyday for the rest of his life.

The captain stopped the engines in the biggest cave and they could hear water pounding on the rocks further away. The captain explained that there was a waterfall on the other side of the cave. Link pressed himself against Rhett for comfort as they glided towards the sound in the dark cave.

Soon the scenery opened before their eyes and daylight started flooding in. The sound of the waterfall was loud and majestic as the water poured down the rocks and into the bright pool of water. The noises were too loud to speak so they just admired the view while gliding past the waterfall and into another cave. The sounds started fading and they were on the open water again.

‘’Is this place even real?’’ Link asked, still looking back in the direction they had come from.

‘’I’ve visited this place many times but I always see something new that makes me think this indeed is an imaginary place,’’ Rhett agreed.

‘’I’ve never seen anything like this back home, but I usually don’t even go anywhere on vacations. I just stay home if my friends don’t drag me out,’’ Link said.

‘’Nothing wrong with staying at home either. Sometimes I just like to stay at home but then I start to think about how empty it is when there’s no one else with me so I go somewhere where people are,’’ Rhett said, confessing his loneliness to Link.

‘’I feel more alone if I’m amongst others, it’s like everyone thinks I should have someone special already. It might be all in my head but I can’t help it,’’ Link confessed.

Rhett pulled Link closer, together they wouldn’t be lonely.  Rhett didn’t dare to say it out loud, but he felt like both of them were thinking it.

Link started talking about his life back home and how when he wasn’t dedicating his time to work he had his own projects, small comedy films. There were a lot of similarities in their lifestyle when it came to their careers. They were both enthusiastic and invested in their business. It made Rhett think maybe they could work together in the future. Their whole lives could be entwined. Rhett liked the idea.

The conversation slowed down, neither of them wanted to go into the specific details of their work in front of TV cameras.

‘’Are you hungry?’’ Rhett asked. They were coming back to the shore and they hadn’t eaten anything but snacks on the cruise.

‘’I’m starving,’’ Link said like he was relieved about Rhett asking .

‘’Good, me too. I hope you like seafood,’’ Rhett smiled.

They approached a waterfront restaurant which had its own long dock. Rhett had been there before at night when the lights of the dock were on. It was a nice walk to the restaurant if you were with somebody, but it wasn’t bad during the daytime either.

He helped Link off the boat and didn’t let go of his hand during the walk to the restaurant. It felt so natural to be with Link like this, like they had been doing it for years. Everything was the way it was supposed to be.

They ate big plates of scallops and shrimp and drank nice glasses of wine, becoming tipsy again. Rhett didn’t want the day to end but during the meal Link had become quiet a few times, like he had been thinking about something, or maybe he was getting little tired from all the activities and alcohol. Rhett took his hand into his own across the table and stroked Link’s fingers with his thumb.

‘’Tired?’’ He asked.

‘’A little bit. I think I ate too much,’’ Link smiled, meaning it wasn’t anything serious.

‘’We could go for a little walk on the beach and find a nice spot to lay down and just sunbathe for a while, maybe go for a swim later. Then we could go back to my bungalow if you’d like to,’’ Rhett rose up from the seat before Link could answer and went to get a red rose which was hidden behind a flower arrangement on the table next to theirs. He picked it up and offered it to Link. If Link accepted it he would be spending the night with him. He was sure Link would take it, but for a split second he worried he might not. Maybe it was still too soon?

He had feared for nothing when Link smiled and accepted the rose. The coy smile soon turned into a grin and he said: ‘’You just wanna see me in tiny swim trunks again,’’

‘’Well, it is a nice bonus,’’ Rhett winked, making Link roll his eyes.

**~~~*~~~**

They walked along the beach until they couldn’t see the restaurant or the town anymore. They were followed by the cameramen but they were out of sight of the locals and tourists. The sand was so fine it felt like walking on a soft carpet. The day was still bright and the sun wouldn’t start to set for a couple of hours so they had plenty of time to enjoy their free time.

Rhett couldn’t avert his eyes when Link started to take his clothes off. He pulled the white t-shirt over his head and dropped it onto the sand and on top of it he dropped the rose Rhett had given him. He looked up to the sun with his eyes closed and then over his shoulder, catching Rhett staring at him. Link opened his shorts and slowly pushed them over his butt, knowing Rhett was eyeing him the whole time.

Rhett was more than pleased to see the familiar mint green swim trunks again, they were his favorite outfit on Link most definitely.

‘’You like them, huh?’’ Rhett asked and put his hands on Link’s exposed waist from behind.

‘’Yeah, they’re a nice fit,’’ Link giggled and turned around in Rhett’s arms.

‘’Won’t argue with that,’’ Rhett said, quickly glancing down.

Link grabbed the hem of Rhett’s shirt and helped him to pull it over his head and throw it on his pile of clothes. The next thing Rhett knew were Link’s slim fingers opening the buttons of his shorts. Rhett needed to use all his willpower not to just grab Link and roll in the sand with him while furiously making out.

Rhett knew his pupils were dilated and he bit his lower lip while intensely looking at Link as he pushed down his shorts. They shared a look and Rhett saw Link was in the same mindset as him, lust shining from his eyes. They shared one quick but hungry kiss before Link stepped back so Rhett could step out his trousers.

‘’They say it’s not a good idea to swim right after eating but I think it would be the best option right now,’’ Link said gently, both knowing what he meant. They didn’t need to give away the contents of their pants to the cameras.

Link walked slowly into the warm water with Rhett following him, looking at Link’s smooth, tan back and the two round cheeks he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into.

Link reached the point where the water met his upper waist and he dove in to get his hair wet. Rhett did the same and joined him, swimming further away together.

A couple of times they pulled each other close for smooches, trying not to make the situation too intense.

‘’Could we just go back to your place now?’’ Link asked, maybe little desperately.

‘’Sounds like a plan,’’ Rhett agreed.

They swam to the shore and lay down for a bit to dry. Rhett talked about how it made him think of movies where they were stranded in an island where the two of them could live along with nature, not ever having to worry about nothing else than what they would find to eat. Link just rolled his eyes but the didn’t seem to mind listening to Rhett’s babbling about the subject.

The sun dried them soon enough and they walked to the boat waiting for them at the restaurant’s dock.

‘’My rose!’’ Link yelped when he got back on the boat, he realized he had forgotten it on the beach.

‘’Whoops. Well, don’t worry about it, you’ll get a new one to show to the others once you go back to the house,’’ Rhett comforted him.

‘’I swear I don’t keep purposefully losing them,’’ Link said apologetically.

‘’I know,’’ Rhett smiled and took Link’s hand in his own. The cruise ship took course towards Rhett’s bungalow while they silently admired the views along the way. Once they got to the hut the sun started setting, making the ocean glimmer even more than before.

Rhett opened the door and let Link go in first. He saw how Link looked around. ‘’Looks nice,’’ Link said and then turned to face Rhett.

‘’Our home for the night,’’ Rhett said, brushing a strand of black hair off of Link’s forehead.

‘’I like the sound of that,’’ Link said playfully.

‘’Want something to drink?’’ Rhett asked and went to the small kitchenette in the corner of the hut.

‘’A beer would be nice,’’ Link said and followed Rhett.

Rhett opened the fridge and grabbed two glass bottles. He opened them and handed one to Link.

‘’Wanna go watch the sunset?’’ Rhett suggested. He admitted to himself he was a little nervous. He cared about Link so much and he had imagined this moment multiple times, but now that Link was actually there he suddenly felt almost shy thinking about them sharing a bed. He hoped the beer would calm him down a little. He noticed Link fidgeted with his bottle, he guessed Link was having the same thoughts as him.

‘’Yeah, I’d like to,’’ Link said.

They went to the porch and sat down on the two wooden garden chairs. It was nice and quiet, they could see the hotel lights from the shore. It felt good to be like this finally, with no cameras pointing right at their faces, although there was a boat filming them from a distance, but it didn’t bother them that much.

They chatted about the day’s events, the hot air balloon ride, the beautiful caves and everything else while the sun disappeared over the horizon. Once they finished their drinks Rhett brought them two more as well as sandwiches along with some snacks. They ate, drank, and chatted like two lifelong best friends. Rhett felt his nervousness disappearing and Link seemed to be relaxing too.

When the sun was completely out of sight they went back inside. Rhett put away the empty bottles and dishes while Link was in the bathroom. Rhett felt butterflies in his stomach but he decided to be confident and went to knock on the bathroom door.  _ Now or never. _

_ ‘’Come in,’’ _ came Link’s voice from the other side of the door.

Rhett opened the door and saw Link going through some things in his overnight pack the crew had brought for him while they were away. He took a toothbrush from it and just then Rhett noticed Link had only a towel around his waist and his clothes were neatly folded on the small chair in the corner while his swimming trunks hung from the towel dryer.

Rhett swallowed thickly but joined Link. His hands shook a little as he placed them on Link’s waist. He felt Link shiver under his touch. Rhett kissed Link’s shoulder tentatively and Link leaned into the touch. Rhett took the toothbrush from Link’s hand and put it on the edge of the sink.

‘’Rhett…’’ Link whispered, his eyes fluttering shut.

‘’What is it, baby?’’ Rhett murmured into Link’s skin.

Link spun around in Rhett’s embrace, looking directly into his eyes. ‘’I want you.’’

Rhett felt his knees go weak when he saw the lust from Link’s stunning eyes.

‘’I want you too,’’ Rhett managed to say and with that he attacked Link’s lips with his own. He tasted Link and beer and couldn’t get enough. He touched Link everywhere as Link’s hands were wandering on him, tugging and pulling his shirt between their hungry kisses.

All of their nervousness was gone as Link responded to his touches with the same eagerness as he touched Link. He separated from Link’s lips for a moment and despite his bad back he picked Link up in his arms.

‘’Oh! Careful!’’ Link exclaimed and giggled. He kept kissing Rhett everywhere he could reach while Rhett carried him to the main room. Rhett put him down beside the bed and Link stepped away from Rhett, teasingly putting a finger on Rhett’s chest, silently telling him to keep still. Link walked to the other side of the bed and turned his back to Rhett. He put his hands on the towel on his hips, slowly opening the knot in the front.

Rhett’s hand went instinctively to his groin, slowly rubbing himself through his shorts. Link dropped the towel, revealing his naked form. Rhett felt his mouth water, he wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Link’s bare bottom, to massage and kiss it.

Link sat on the bed and lay down on his back. Rhett’s poor heart nearly pounded its way out of his chest. Link was erect and breathing heavily, he turned onto his side towards Rhett and motioned with his finger for Rhett to join him.

Rhett couldn’t keep his eyes off Link as he climbed onto the bed next to him. His hand went to the curve of his narrow waist. Link’s skin was soft and warm, begging to be touched with Rhett’s calloused hands.

‘’Are you sure?’’ Rhett asked once more while popping the buttons of his shirt open. He looked at Link’s sexy lips and how they mouthed  _ ‘’yes’’ _ with a little hiss. Rhett got his shirt open and Link pushed it past his shoulders before pulling Rhett into a heated kiss, pressing his hard against Rhett’s, making Rhett dizzy for a moment.

‘’I want you so much,’’ Link whispered, his hand traveling down to Rhett’s crotch, cupping the hard bulge there. ‘’Mmm, nice,’’ He grinned and kissed Rhett again.

‘’You’re pretty impressive yourself,’’ Rhett laughed, letting his hand go down from Link’s hips to his front. Rhett’s head was spinning, he was living the moment he had been dreaming about many nights.

Link laughed throatily and pushed Rhett’s shirt all the way off of him and started to tug down his shorts. ‘’You’re wearing too many clothes,’’ Link complained, making Rhett chuckle.

Rhett wiggled out of the rest of his clothes with Link’s help. Once he threw them on the floor he was free to entwine their bodies in a heated embrace. Link felt good in his arms, he just hoped he could hold himself back and enjoy the moment as long as possible. Link felt like he belonged there, right next to Rhett.

Link straddled him, hovering over Rhett before sitting down, grinding slowly. Rhett let out a deep growl of need and grabbed Link by his waist. He watched Link’s hips move in teasing circles. ‘’Now I can finally see you sitting in my lap. You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about our moment in the sauna... you like this...in my lap...naked...hot...sexy…’’ Rhett’s trail of thoughts cut out several times as he watched Link writhing on top of him. He let his hands wander to Link’s thighs and all the way up to his arms, feeling the strong muscles under the silky skin.

‘’I’ve been thinking about it too…’’ Link said. ‘’But enough talking and more action,’’ Link leaned down to kiss him. Link’s lips were perfect against his, massaging him in the most pleasant way. He loved how red and puffed they became because of his beard stroking against them.

Rhett reached over to the nightstand to open the drawer to get what they needed. He helped Link prepare himself, sinking his fingers into the heat, making Link let out the loveliest noises Rhett had heard so far. He loved every little moan and whimper Link made, Rhett knew he would never get tired of hearing them.

He was hard and overly sensitive to the slightest touch when he rolled the condom on and once again Link sat on top of him, making them both gasp for air desperately at the most intimate touch. They both held back from moaning too loudly, knowing some sneaky microphone could catch their noises of pleasure.

Rhett kept staring at Link, admiring every little move and sound as he rode him harder and harder each minute. Link’s mouth hung open in silent moans and heavy breathing, only slowing down when the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh became too loud. Link’s was occasionally tensing up and then relaxing, Rhett knew it was because he was holding himself back and everytime Link tensed his muscles became prominent and Rhett couldn’t get enough of looking at them.

Link continued his rhythmic bouncing until his moans became high pitched and he couldn’t hold back anymore, reaching his release. Rhett couldn’t think of seeing anything more beautiful as he watched Link taking what he needed from him. Eventually Link’s moves became slower and his whole sweaty body trembled from pleasure. He let out desperate whimpers, which made Rhett twitch inside him.

‘’Let me…’’ Rhett said hoarsely and guided Link gently off of him. He knew he didn’t need long when Link got onto his elbows and knees in front of him, exposing himself completely. Rhett could stare at the sight forever but the need won and pushed himself into the tight heat again and he held Link’s hips, chasing his release with each hard thrust.

_ ‘’Uh, uh, uh…’’  _ Link moaned into the pillow and it was enough for Rhett. He buried himself deep and let go, his fingernails digging into Link’s skin and his eyes fluttering shut as he held him still until he was finished.

He collapsed next to Link who immediately put his arm around Rhett and lay his head on his chest. Rhett wrapped his arm around Link too, turning his head to look at him as Link did the same. Rhett could not imagine a moment more perfect.

‘’You’re amazing,’’ Link breathed out, leaning in to give Rhett one more kiss before laying his head back down on Rhett’s chest again.

Rhett smiled. ‘’So are you, baby, so are you,’’  _ I love you _ . He added in his mind.

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett yawned and stretched himself when he woke up, he turned onto his side and reached to Link’s side of the bed. Realizing his lover wasn’t there made him open his eyes. He stroked the wrinkled sheets and smiled at the thoughts of the last night and how perfect everything had been.

He looked in the direction of the bathroom and saw the door was slightly ajar where he saw Link’s shadow and water running into the tub. Rhett slowly got up, pushing the sheets aside. He didn’t care to cover his naked body as he walked to the doorframe of the bathroom to take a peek at Link without him noticing. He pushed the door open to see more clearly and his smile grew even wider when he saw Link in front of the full length mirror, looking at himself. Rhett’s gaze went up from Link’s nice thighs to his bare bottom and the nice curve of his lower back, all the way up to his broad shoulders and muscular arms. The man was like the finest sculpture. Link turned and twisted in front of the mirror, looking at and touching his soft skin. Rhett watched the show for a moment before Link saw him through the mirror.

‘’Oh, good morning, how long you’ve been there?’’ Link turned around, slightly blushing for getting caught like that.

‘’Long enough,’’ Rhett grinned and joined Link in the bathroom. He lifted Link’s chin with his finger and gave him a little kiss. ‘’Good morning to you too,’’ Link wrapped his arms around Rhett’s shoulders and stood on his tiptoes to give Rhett another kiss.

‘’You made me feel so good last night. I don’t remember anyone ever making me feel so full…and loved, I can still feel every touch...’’ Link said softly and nuzzled Rhett’s neck.

‘’I loved everything about last night,’’ Rhett responded, stroking Link’s back. He could smell a hint of sweat in Link’s hair and his own smell which was intoxicating, it took him straight back to last night.

‘’I think the bath is ready,’’ Link said and let go of Rhett to turn the faucet off. ‘’Wanna join me?’’ Link asked, looking over his shoulder before stepping into the big tub.

‘’No need to ask twice,’’ Rhett chuckled and followed Link into the water.

Even though the tub was biggest one either of them had ever seen it still took some maneuvering to get both their tall bodies to fit comfortably. Link sat between Rhett’s legs, facing in the same direction and rested his head back against Rhett’s shoulder while Rhett ran a soft, soap covered sponge along Link’s chest and arms.

‘’Feels good,’’ Link murmured and closed his eyes. Rhett nuzzled Link’s wet hair and made his way to the side of Link’s neck, giving him little butterfly kisses, occasionally scraping his teeth along his long neck.

‘’Can we stay like this forever?’’ Rhett whispered into Link’s ear.

‘’If only it were possible,’’ Link whispered back.

Rhett slid the sponge under the water and onto Link’s stomach and even lower to his inner thighs. Link grabbed Rhett’s wrist gently. ‘’We don’t have much time left…’’ Link said, slowly turning around and getting on his knees in front of Rhett. he took the sponge from Rhett and added more soap to it and started to return the favor by running it along Rhett’s collarbones and shoulders.

‘’Just a few more weeks,’’ Rhett said, studying Link’s face while he ran the sponge over him.

‘’Yeah, I guess… Rhett…’’ Link started but didn’t finish the sentence. He put the sponge away and rose up to get out of the tub.

‘’Link, is there something you wanna talk about?’’ Rhett asked seeing how Link suddenly got more fidgety and almost nervous, avoiding looking at him.

‘’I… we should get dressed. They’ll be coming to take me back to the hotel any time now,’’ Link said quickly and stood under the shower to rinse off the soap.

Rhett got out of the tub too and went behind Link but when he put his hands on him, he moved away.

‘’Link, what’s wrong?’’

‘’Nothing, nothing… I just forgot that they follow our every move,’’ Link said and went to quickly wrap a towel around himself, leaving Rhett standing in the shower alone and dumbfounded.

Rhett knew very well that Link was stressed about the cameras and microphones. They bothered Rhett too, especially in moments like this when he couldn’t see them. He knew they were around somewhere, not in the hut but perhaps on a boat or at the shore, zooming in, trying to get a glimpse of them through a crack of a curtain or with their powerful microphones which could catch the quietest whispers. But he thought he had seen something else in Link’s eyes too, like he wanted to tell him something but was scared. He had seen the same look before, in the balcony of the mansion back in L.A.

Rhett got out of the shower and dried himself off with a towel and went to the main room where he saw Link already dressed and fixing his hair with a blowdryer.

Rhett didn’t interrupt him but got dressed as well. He was sad about the sudden mood change but he understood Link so he didn’t want to push him. He would never want to make Link feel uncomfortable around him.

Link turned the blow dryer off and they both heard a motorboat nearby. They knew what it meant, their date was over.

‘’I guess I need to go now,’’ Link said after seeing the boat arrive to the small dock in front of Rhett’s hut. ‘’Back to the hotel where they’ll demand to know what happened. Especially Connor and Bailey,’’ Link said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

‘’I know you’ll survive and we’ll meet soon again.’’ Rhett tried to comfort him. He remembered that Link was staying with Connor now instead of his usual roommate Bailey, he thought maybe that was what troubled Link’s mind. ‘’How’s staying with Connor been? I know you and Bailey are friends so is it weird staying with Connor?’’ Rhett asked while buttoning his shirt.

Link sighed deeply. Maybe he was right and Connor was why link was uncomfortable? He went to Link and put his hands on his shoulder and gently spun him around. ‘’What is it Link? You can tell me anything, you know that. I can get you into a different room if you’d like,’’ Rhett said worriedly.

‘’No, no. No need to. There’s nothing wrong with him but…I think you should know something,’’ Link looked at the floor and stepped away from Rhett, then looked out the window again.

Rhett felt shivers go down his spine. The way Link said it sounded like it wasn’t going to be something Rhett would like to hear.

‘’Rhett, I… I know Connor,’’ Link said, quickly glancing at Rhett over his shoulder.

‘’Well, of course you do, you’ve shared a living space with him for a while now,’’ Rhett chuckled nervously.

‘’No Rhett, you don’t understand. I knew him before we got here. I’ve been meaning to tell you but it never seemed like the right time… We  _ know  _ each other, Rhett.’’ Link tilted his head, warily looking into Rhett’s eyes.

‘’Wait, what?’’ Rhett stopped smiling, trying to figure out whether Link was actually saying what he thought he was saying.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. It was the time for Link to go. ‘’I’m sorry, Rhett. I never wanted this to get complicated. I should have told you on our first date, but then I fell for you and…’’

There was another knock on the door, more demanding this time.

Rhett was still processing it all and his heart started to hurt a little. ‘’You mean… You came here for him?’’ He nearly choked on the words.

Link looked at him, grabbing the door handle. He nodded quickly. ‘’I’m sorry,’’ He repeated and opened the door and was gone before Rhett could ask anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, let me know your thoughts!  
> (And sorry about the ending :D (not really)) ❤︎


	11. Where is he?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett has to continue making the show even when his mind is elsewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break between the updates!

Rhett sat on the bed, Link’s last words repeating in his head.  _ Link and Connor? Why hadn’t they told him sooner? The crew must’ve known about them too. _

He stared at the door, not knowing what else to do. He could still feel Link’s warmth on the bed, how wonderful everything had been just a minute ago, but now he didn’t know what had just happened. He felt betrayed. By everybody. 

Link was on the show just to add drama to the mix and Rhett had fallen for it. He had truly believed Link felt something towards him now, even if he at first didn’t. But would it be enough? Rhett would rather settle things outside the cameras but that wouldn’t be an option; there was already someone knocking on his door. Rhett wanted to scream out of frustration. How did they know he would even fall for Link? Was it all planned or did it just happen?

He got up from the bed and swung the door open, making the producer, a too nosy man named Jerry, jump aside. Rhett was so angry he wanted to punch the man in the face, he was sure he was the one who had planned everything.

‘’Woah, there? Didn’t the night go as good as planned?’’ The producer grinned, making Rhett clench his fists.

‘’He told me! He told me, you fucking jerk! He’s here because you knew he had been with Connor before! What the fuck, Jerry? When did you plan to reveal this information?  The night when I asked Link to marry me? Wow, that would’ve been quite the TV moment for you.’’ Rhett nearly yelled, staring down at the much shorter man who had fear in his eyes. But he had that look only for a moment. Jerry took a step back, first looking confused and then frowning. 

‘’Link told you?’’ He asked, squinting.

‘’Yes! And he should have told me sooner, right on our first date, that would've been appropriate,’’ Rhett spoke, still upset.

‘’You both read the contract and you knew the nature of this show,’’ the producer said calmly.

Rhett rolled his eyes. ‘’You told me the nature of this show was to find love, a partner, not to fuck me over to make TV drama. How much did you enjoy seeing me interested in Connor and then falling for Link knowing they were hiding this secret?’’

‘’I didn’t think about my own enjoyment. I’m making entertainment for the people, Rhett,’’ he said emotionlessly.

Before Rhett could respond, the producer continued: ‘’Go get ready for the group date for lunch. We”ll decide what we do with Link by end of the day.’’

‘’Wait, what does that mean now?’’ Rhett stopped the man from leaving.

‘’Link obviously broke the rules, he wasn’t supposed to tell you about him and Connor, at least not yet. We might need to send him home for breaking the rules.’’ The producer shrugged.

‘’No! What? You can’t do that! I need to talk to him first!’’ Rhett panicked.

‘’I can and I will if you’re not ready to give an interview to Chris in five minutes and then get ready for the date.’’ The producer said coldly, leaving Rhett speechless by the door.

Rhett was absolutely furious but he knew what kind of problems he would cause if he called the show off now. He managed to hide his anger and gave the interview to Chris about his night with Link. He didn’t give any details, he just said he enjoyed spending alone time with Link. Luckily the crew was happy with his answers and didn't beg for any more details. At least they respected him on some level unlike the producer himself.

It was difficult for Rhett to get ready for the group date. Even though Rhett would only be going on a date with the three men he hadn’t spent time with yet, he wasn't really looking forward to it. At least it would offer him some sort of distraction from constantly thinking about Link and Connor.

Rhett didn't even know how long the two had dated or how serious they had been.  Had they lived together? Why did they break up? Obviously Link followed him here because he felt something towards Connor. Was he still in love with him? Rhett felt like he wanted to cry. What if Connor decided he wanted Link back? Rhett’s heart would break.    

Rhett felt like he was on autopilot. His body went to the group date but his mind stayed on Link. He guessed the others noticed it too as they mostly talked among each other during the lunch. 

At the end of the date he only gave a rose to one of the three, meaning the other two would be sent home. Rhett had the option to give roses to all of them but he really only liked Jeremy, even though his appearance reminded him of Link. Besides, this would make it harder for the producer to let Link go now since he would be sending two men home already. There would be too few contestants left for the next destination they would be traveling to.

On top of that Rhett thought his time with Connor was over. He wanted to send the man home too but he decided he could wait until he knew the true nature of his relationship with Link.

Later Rhett had a date with Jeremy, a private tour in the museum and dinner by the beach. At the end of the date he gave Jeremy a hasty kiss on the cheek and called it a night. Rhett could have invited him to his hut but Rhett didn’t feel like it would be appropriate after being so quiet on their date. 

Rhett’s thoughts were on Link and he wanted nothing more than an opportunity to talk with him. The producer had not yet said anything about whether he would be sending Link home or not. All Rhett could do was wait.

He drank a few beers and paced around his small hut waiting for news, but it was almost midnight and nothing seemed like it was going to happen. Rhett decided to do something himself. He had to see Link, no matter what. He couldn’t care less about the show at this point. He got onto his jetski and drove to the shore. He was amazed he didn’t see any cameras anywhere. He thought there could be a few hidden ones but it still felt like he was completely alone. Rhett walked to the hotel where he saw people in the lobby through the windows. Some of the contestants and crew members were there, they all looked like they were talking but something seemed odd. Rhett needed to find out what was going on.

He grabbed the handle of the door and pulled but it was locked, which was also a little weird to Rhett. He knocked a few times before someone came to open the door. Everyone was looking at him like he didn’t belong there.

‘’Wha- What’s going on? Why’s everybody up?’’ Rhett asked in the general direction of the group.

When everybody looked at each other and didn’t say anything Rhett raised his voice. ‘’Can someone tell me what is happening? Where’s Jerry? I need to talk to him.’’

‘’He’s trying to find Link,’’ came a familiar voice behind Rhett.

Rhett turned around to see Connor with a worried look on his face and Bailey peeking from behind his back.

‘’What did you say?’’ Rhett squinted.

Connor took a deep breath and put his hand on Rhett’s shoulder. Rhett wanted to pull away but didn’t. ‘’Sometime after dinner Link disappeared, no one knows where he went. He said to Bailey he would be by the pool if anyone needed him but after an hour the cameraman following him came back inside saying Link went to take a leak so he couldn’t film, but Link never came back. We’ve been trying to find him all day without any luck and a moment ago Jerry got a call from the airport saying that a person looking like Link was there so he went to check it out,’’

Rhett listened, his eyes wide. Why had no one had told him anything sooner? He was just out with his dates having fun when Link could be anywhere.  _ Was he hurt? What had happened? _

‘’I need to sit down,’’ Rhett managed to say.

Connor directed him to the chairs by the elevators where it was quieter. He sat down and Connor sat right next to him. Even after knowing about Connor’s past with Link he found it comforting to sit beside the man.

‘’When Link came back this morning he told me he had spoken with you about us and he seemed to be upset. Technically, I’m not allowed to talk about this either but Jerry isn’t here so screw it.’’ Connor spoke quietly, trying not to raise other’s attention.

‘’He didn’t tell me too much, just that you and him had something in the past,’’ Rhett glanced at Connor, feeling weird talking about it.

‘’We broke up over a year ago when I had to move to Europe for a while and we haven’t seen each other since then. Until we met here. I think Link came here just to see if he still felt something towards me,’’ Connor said, looking at the floor.

‘’Do you still have feelings for him?’’ Rhett asked calmly.

‘’A little, yes. As a friend. We never were a good match and Link knows it too. We talked about it briefly during the first week but then we were told we aren’t allowed to say anything about our relationship during the show unless they told us otherwise. We both knew then they were going to save that reveal for some juicy spot later in the season. I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but know that Link likes you a lot and I do too,’’ Connor gave Rhett a little wink.

‘’And I do too,’’ Bailey smiled from the chair in front of Rhett. It made Rhett chuckle, he hadn’t even noticed Bailey there.

‘’And don’t worry, Link already told me everything. ...except for where he went,’’ Bailey added quickly which made Rhett raise his eyebrows.  _ Was he hiding something?  _ Bailey was fidgeting with his fingers and he wouldn’t look directly at Rhett. He noticed Bailey glancing between him and Connor and for a moment it looked like he was silently trying to tell him something.

They were interrupted by Jerry storming into the hotel. ‘’It wasn’t him,’’ he said loudly, making everyone buzz again. 

Connor stood up ‘’You didn’t find Link?’’

‘’That’s what I said,’’ Jerry looked in Connor’s direction and saw Rhett. ‘’Who told you to come here?’’ He sounded annoyed.

‘’No one,’’ Rhett stood up and went beside Connor. ‘’You promised to tell me if you were gonna send Link home or not by the end of the day and since you didn’t come to me, I had to come to find you,’’ Rhett stated. There were gasps and more buzzing and Rhett realised maybe they didn’t know that Jerry was about to send Link home.

‘’Huh?’’ Connor turned to look at Rhett.

‘’He was planning to send Link home because of, you know, what he told me,’’ Rhett whispered in Connor’s direction.

Everyone went to demand answers from Jerry, except for Bailey..

‘’Link broke the contract so we were rethinking his participation on the show. It’s not anyone else’s business. We weren’t sure yet if we were even going to send him home,’’ Jerry said from the crowd.

‘’Bullshit! You told Link to pack his bags, that’s why he was so upset.’’ Bailey suddenly yelled. ‘’You were going to send him home, not even giving him a chance to say goodbyes to Rhett,’’ Bailey continued, shaking with anger. Connor had to grab Bailey by his arm so he wouldn’t jump on the producer.

‘’Not true!’’ Jerry tried, but everyone was giving him the evil eye knowing he was lying.

Connor let go of Bailey and stepped forward, spreading his arms. ‘’Okay, okay, looks like there’s nothing more we can do than wait for tomorrow. The local authorities will inform us if they find Link,’’ Connor started to calm everyone down. ‘’It’s for the best if we all just go back to our rooms and try to get some sleep,’’ he continued.

The others started to leave the lobby and Rhett went to Jerry. ‘’If something happens to Link I swear I will break your fucking neck,’’ Rhett hissed before brushing past him and going outside. He was so mad. He decided to take a walk, just in case he could find something everyone else had missed while looking for Link.

He didn’t get past the building when he heard someone behind him and quickly turned around, seeing Bailey there. ‘’I thought I’d take a look myself…,’’ he started to explain.

Bailey grabbed his arm and looked him dead in the eye. ‘’I suggest you go back to your hut, we all need sleep,’’ Bailey said with a serious voice, making him look a little scary in the dark.

‘’But I just-’’ 

Suddenly Bailey squeezed his arm painfully hard and frowned. He had that look on his face again that he had back in the lobby. Rhett then understood he was trying to tell him something without anyone else hearing or noticing.

Rhett thought it was best to obey. ‘’Okay, you’re right. Goodnight, Bailey,’’ Rhett started to walk back to the beach and to his jetski.

Rhett’s heart was pounding in his chest as he hoped he had understood what Bailey had tried to tell him. 

When he was back to his hut he slowly opened the door to the dark room. His heart started to beat even faster when he went to turn on the bedside lamp. He looked around but he didn’t see anything unusual. He heard an almost inaudible noise coming from the bathroom. Rhett pulled all the curtains in front of the windows closed to make sure no one was seeing into the hut.

He opened the bathroom door and his heart jumped a little when he saw the figure of a man against the window.  _ ‘’Link?’’  _ He whispered and stepped into the bathroom.

Link turned his head to the side and Rhett noticed a tear rolling down his cheek as he whispered back.  _ ‘’I couldn’t leave before saying goodbye.’’ _


	12. The Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett has a pleasant night visitor and he is ready to make an important decision.

 

Rhett put his hand on Link’s shoulder, gently pulling him back from the window to look him in the eyes. The only light coming through the bathroom curtains was moonlight, but it was enough to see Link’s pained expression.  Rhett wiped the tear from Link’s cheek and pulled him in for a hug. He felt Link’s arms warily wrap around him but the longer Rhett held him, the tighter Link hugged him back.

‘’He told me to pack my bags before lunch. I tried to talk to him into letting me stay,’’ Link murmured into Rhett’s shirt.

‘’Shh, it’s okay. It’s not your fault,’’ Rhett whispered into Link’s soft hair and then kissed the top of his head. ‘’We have tonight,’’ he continued and lifted Link’s chin up with one finger, ready to kiss him.

‘’You’re not mad at me?’’ Link held on to Rhett’s shirt.

‘’No, but you could’ve told me sooner, though,’’ Rhett sighed.

‘’But that would’ve meant they’d have sent me home sooner, before we got to know each other better… Then I would’ve lost you before even having you,’’ Link said.

Rhett swallowed thickly. Link was right; If he had known earlier they probably would have sent both Connor and Link home in an earlier rose ceremony. The thought of it made him cling to Link harder.

‘’Don’t even say that… My life’s been such a mess. I’m only now realizing it. Just thinking of you makes me happier. Who cares about the show. No matter what, I’ve already chosen you,’’ Rhett spoke from his heart.

"What if..." Link started and stopped as he stumbled through his words, "What if when I leave you see there's other great people here... and I know there are..., what if you fall for someone else and -" Link took a shuddering intake of air, keeping himself from tearing up again.

‘’Shh, that won’t happen. I promise you.’’ Rhett took a hold of Link’s shoulders and pushed him away a little to look into his glimmering eyes. ‘’I promise,’’ he repeated.

Link nodded, sniffling, ‘’I believe you.’’

‘’Everything will be alright.’’ Rhett said quietly before landing a soft kiss on Link’s lips.

‘’I wish we could go somewhere else right now, somewhere they can’t see or hear us,’’ Rhett felt Link smile against his cheek.

‘’Too bad we’re surrounded by water, everyone would see if we tried to leave,’’ Rhett said, sadness in his voice.

‘’We could swim? That’s what I did to get here,’’ Link suggested.

‘’You swam here?’’ Rhett was amazed. Link must have really wanted to see him. Swimming in the dark alone could have been dangerous.

‘’Yeah, I told Bailey in case you weren’t here. I waited over two hours for you to come back. I just hoped they wouldn’t come look for me here and make me leave without seeing you,’’ Link said sincerely. 

‘’I’m glad they weren’t that smart… But there are still people looking for you,’’ Rhett said, not wanting to let Link go.

‘’I know, let them. I have something else in mind,’’ Link said, taking Rhett’s hand and leading him out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

‘’I wonder what that might be,’’ Rhett said, knowing very well what Link meant.

‘’I wanna make sure you won’t forget me while I’m gone. If this is the last time we’re gonna see each other in weeks I’m gonna make it count,’’ Link cooed and pulled Rhett onto the bed with him. 

‘’Oh!’’ Rhett yelped, managing to support himself on his elbows on each side of Link, not crushing the smaller man in the process. ‘’Well, I think last night already guaranteed that,’’ he chuckled.

‘’Let’s double guarantee it then.’’ Link started pulling Rhett’s shirt over his head.

Rhett wished he could see Link better but he didn’t want to turn on the lights in case someone saw he wasn’t alone like they all assumed. 

Once they got out of their shirts Link’s hands were grabbing Rhett’s sides and ass as they kissed like they had never before; teeth nibbling lips, tongues licking and entwining messily until they were both out of breath.

Rhett’s whole body was tingling from excitement. Feeling Link panting and squirming underneath him, all hot and bothered for him, was the biggest turn on he’d ever had. He couldn’t wait to experience everything with this gorgeous man, he couldn’t wait to be alone at home with him just to discover every little sensitive spot Link had. And for Link do the same thing to him.

Rhett kissed Link’s prominent Adam’s apple and made a path of kisses all the way up to his lips. Link’s legs were spread wide underneath him and Rhett took the opportunity to tease them both a little. He pressed their groins together, feeling Link's hardness against his own. He moaned at the sensation and kept grinding slowly but firmly, loving the friction it created.

‘’I want you so much,’’ Rhett growled into Link’s ear.

‘’I want you too,’’ Link breathed out. His hand went to the waistband of Rhett’s pants, tugging at them. Rhett’s hand joined Link’s and together they pulled his pants down, freeing his growing erection. Rhett leaned on his side to wiggle completely out his pants and underwear while watching Link do the same. He licked his lips when Link shimmied his pants low enough to let his erection bob heavy and wet with precum onto his stomach.

‘’Come back here,’’ Link demanded, pulling Rhett back onto him. Link’s hand found Rhett’s hard-on, he wrapped his fingers around the thick shaft and started slowly stroking up and down. Rhett moved his hips slightly, thrusting into Link’s hand and enjoying himself, forgetting all the worries they had.

When Link stopped and started fumbling for the bottle of lube Rhett pressed their erections together, loving how slick precum had made them both. He wanted to watch so badly but he could wait. He ran his hand along Link’s torso, finding Link’s hardened nipple, he rubbed the nub and twisted it between his fingers, making Link hiss and moan, almost too loudly. Rhett made a mental note to do that a lot more when the show was over. He went to the other nipple, teasing it with his finger tip. He grinned when he heard Link’s shuddering moan. ‘’You like this, huh?’’ He grinned.

Link squirmed a little under his touch.  _ ‘’Mmhhmm,’’ _ was his only answer. 

Rhett took the lube from Link’s hand and spread it generously on Link’s awaiting hole. He tossed the tube away and reached for the nightstand again. He got distracted a little when Link began kissing his chest and licking over his nipples while his hand went back to his throbbing dick. Rhett squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to come right then and there. He managed to grab the condom and with Link’s help he slid it on. He stroked himself a couple of times to spread the remaining lube from his hand onto it.

He went to kiss Link again and let his dick press teasingly against him.  _ ‘’Oh…’’  _ Link whimpered.

‘’You want this? This is what you came for, huh?’’ Rhett smiled against Link’s neck, sliding the tip of his dick over Link’s twitching hole. Rhett loved how Link’s hands grabbed his hips, possibly bruisingly hard, but Rhett didn’t care. He loved to tease Link.

Link breathed heavily against Rhett’s ear and he wrapped his legs around Rhett’s thighs, pulling him closer.  _ ‘’Fuck me,’’  _ Link’s voice was almost inaudible but it got shivers running down Rhett’s spine, making his cock twitch with need.

Rhett could hear his own blood rushing in his veins, he was more than happy to fulfil Link’s wish. He grabbed Link’s wrists and held them above Link’s head on the pillow. He got onto his knees and pulled Link’s legs up, ankles on his shoulders. He lined his cock up and slid in, making Link let out a long wailing moan. Rhett grit his teeth, trying to keep himself from being too loud but he failed, moaning and grunting along with Link when he buried his cock deep into Link’s heat.

‘’Yeah, bachelor boy, that feels so good…’’ Link encouraged him.

Rhett squeezed Link’s thighs and pushed them forward, nearly bending Link in two. He would’ve admired the man’s flexibility more but his arousal got the best of him and he started to move his hips in circles, letting Link getting used to the feeling of being filled again. Slowly he started sliding in and out, finding the way their bodies made tiny, wet noises incredibly sexy. 

He took his time enjoying the moment, smelling his and Link’s sweat mixing together and hearing Link’s beautiful sighs of pleasure when he moved inside of him ever so slowly. It had been so long since he felt this way, he wished for it never to end.

Link started to move against him, wanting Rhett to pick up the pace. ‘’More… Rhett… Give it to me. Let’s break the bed,’’ Link demanded. It made Rhett smile, he wanted to get used to this, having hot sex with Link every night, every day, all the time.

He picked up the pace, aware of the loud, obscene noises they were making, but none of that mattered, he was too caught up in the moment to care. He slammed into Link repeatedly fast and hard until Link’s moans became more loud and rapid, indicating he was close.

‘’Yeah baby, let me feel it. Come for me.’’ Rhett managed to say between thrusts and soon Link’s nails were digging into his shoulders, following by a loud, quivering moan as he came between their bodies. Rhett could feel hot cum hitting his stomach and it only him made fuck Link faster until he buried himself deep into him, coming even harder than the previous night. He stayed still, mouth gaping open until the final shocks of pleasure left him.

_ ‘’Fuck…’’  _ He sighed as he rolled off Link and lay beside him on the bed. They both lie still, catching their breath.

Rhett heard Link chuckle. ‘’Woah.’’

‘’Yeah,’’ Rhett almost said something else but managed to hold himself back. It would be too soon to utter those three little words, even though it was what he felt.

‘’That was amazing, big boy.’’ Link turned onto his side and threw one leg over Rhett’s thighs, cuddling him and kissing his chest.

**~~~*~~~**

The morning sun woke Rhett up. He smiled at the memory of the last night but then he quickly opened his eyes, fearing it was just a dream. He was relieved when he saw Link sprawled out on his back right next to Rhett.

Rhett hovered his fingertips over Link’s chest hair, slightly touching him, careful not to wake him up. He thought it was cute how Link’s lips were parted as he slept. He was tempted to take a picture but decided against it. His new partner would probably not appreciate him taking pictures of him sleeping.

Rhett looked at the brunet for a long moment, just enjoying being beside him. In the back of his mind he knew Link would soon have to wake up and they would have to tell someone Link was with him so the crew and others could stop searching for him.

Then Rhett remembered something. If Link had to leave, he could give him something so he wouldn’t forget him. Well, he was sure Link wouldn’t but he could give him something as a promise of a future together.

He slid out of bed carefully, still fully naked. He rummaged through his backpack until he found what he was looking for just as Link started to wake up. His mouth was closed and his eyes squeezed shut tightly, keeping the light away. Rhett pounced on the bed playfully and Link cracked his eyes open.

Rhett gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘’G’morning, baby,’’ he said and sat up, pulling the covers off Link’s legs.

‘’Hey!’’ Link complained and pulled his feet back under the covers.

Rhett gave Link a wink and again pulled the covers off.

‘’What are you doing?’’ Link giggled, covering himself fully under the blankets.

‘’Stay still, silly,’’ Rhett took a hold of Link’s ankle, making him come out from under the covers. Rhett thought he’d never seen anything more adorable in his life. Link’s eyes were curious, wide blue circles and Rhett could’ve drowned in them at the moment, but quickly he turned around so Link couldn’t see what he was doing. 

Rhett opened his palm and started wrapping a string of wooden beads around Link’s ankle. It looped around perfectly two times before he tied it off and moved away so Link could see.

Link pushed the covers all the way down as he sat up. ‘’An ankle bracelet?’’ Link raised his eyebrows in surprise, reaching down and touching the beads delicately.

‘’I got it the first time I ever visited this island. An old lady in the market insisted I make a necklace for a special person in my life to bring luck. I didn’t dare say no or that I didn’t have a special someone. But I’ve always carried it with me, I liked the wooden beads and I thought they brought me luck throughout the years. Now they have given me everything I ever wanted. You,’’ Rhett paused to caress Link’s cheek with the back of his hand, making Link lean into the touch. 

‘’Maybe now it’s time to make it fulfil its purpose, to bring luck to that special someone instead of me.’’ Rhett smiled, touched the colorful beads and then slid his hand up Link’s leg, all the way to his thigh before he looked Link in the eyes.

‘’You’re stupidest, most romantic man I’ve ever met,’’ Link chuckled and grabbed Rhett, making him fall onto the bed with him, kissing, giggling and whispering about the things they want to experience together.

‘’I kinda wish I could have given it to you when were wearing those tiny swim trunks. That would be a real good look on you, a little ankle bracelet and mint green swim trunks, don’t you think?’’ Rhett grinned.

‘’Do you ever stop thinking about those swim trunks?’’ Link laughed.

‘’No, they’re legendary,’’ Rhett looked at Link meaningfully, making Link laugh again. 

‘’I have them here, you know. Remember how I got here?’’ Link said then, licking his lips and winking.

‘’Oh?’’ Rhett said, cocking his head in curiosity.

Link swung his legs off the bed and walked to the bathroom, Rhett admiring how Link swayed his slim hips as he walked, like he was making sure Rhett’s gaze was glued to his butt. As if Rhett  would ever turn down the opportunity.

Rhett smiled to himself, he thought he probably never had such a huge crush on anyone else before.

He didn’t have to wait long when Link came back from the bathroom wearing the light mint green swimming trunks and the beaded anklet Rhett had just given him. Rhett supported himself on his elbow to get a better view.

Link twirled around a couple of times and even twerked while laughing, making Rhett laugh too before posing for him again, putting his leg with the anklet in front of the other while his hands rested loosely on his hips, thumbs in the waistband of the tiny shorts. The look was perfected with Link’s bed hair and strong stubble. Rhett felt how his heart suddenly started beating faster, like he couldn’t believe his luck to actually get to be with a gorgeous man like Link.

‘’You’re a true model.’’ Rhett said, smiling widely.

‘’Hah! Yeah, says the man posing like one of those nude Greek statues on the bed. With your arm like that and your leg like that. Like Lionel Richie on the centerfold of one of his albums,’’ Link said as he jumped onto the bed.

‘’You like Lionel Richie?’’ Rhett asked, immediately pulling Link closer to him.

‘’Yeah, man!’’ Link replied, putting his arm around Rhett’s waist.

‘’Me too!’’ Rhett exclaimed.

They kept talking about music and their favorite bands while constantly touching and kissing each other. Rhett felt like he was a teenager again, discovering love and attraction and getting happier by the second the more they discovered how similar their tastes were. He imagined themselves blasting their favorite albums and dancing awkwardly but laughing the whole time.

While he listened to Link talk Rhett made a decision. No matter what Jerry would say, no matter anyone would say, he would demand to keep Link in the competition or he would call the whole thing off. He didn’t care how much it would cost, all he wanted was to be with Link.

The knock on his door came too soon. They both got quiet, they had not heard the boat coming and now they both were sad that their time was ending.

‘’Hey Rhett? I’m sorry to wake you up buddy but Jerry needs to see you in the lobby right away. Rhett?’’ Rhett recognized the voice to be one of the cameramen, the one who usually filmed just Rhett.

‘’Listen, Link, I won’t let you go. I can’t let them take you away. It doesn’t matter what it takes. I will keep you in this stupid show ‘till the end.’’ Rhett whispered to Link, kissing him quickly and then pressing their foreheads together.

‘’Okay, Rhett,’’ Link whispered back, stroking Rhett’s bearded cheek.

‘’Rhett?’’ Came a yell from behind the door.

‘’Just a minute! I gotta get dressed first!’’ Rhett yelled back.

‘’Just follow me, okay? Everything will be alright,’’ he said to Link.

Link nodded, putting his pants and t-shirt on. Rhett did the same and before opening the door he took Link’s hand in his own and opened the door. 

The cameraman’s eyes widened when he saw Link there too. ‘’Oh,’’ the man said as the two of them got on the boat.

‘’Jerry told me he had found Link but this wasn’t quite what I was expecting, he just said to go get you, Rhett,’’ he said as he started the engine.

‘’He knows I was here,’’ Link turned to look at Rhett, worry in his eyes.

‘’It’s gonna be okay,’’ Rhett assured him but not knowing if even he himself believed the words coming out of his mouth.

**~~~*~~~**

The lobby was empty as they arrived but in the furthest corner they saw Jerry and a couple other members of the crew. Rhett swallowed, he was ready to confront them.

Rhett put his arm around Link’s waist and Link put his hand on Rhett’s chest, leaning closer. He started to speak before Jerry could.

‘’I don’t want him to go. I think I’m in charge here. I found someone I lo- really like and I want to keep him in this competition, no matter what you say. Or do you want me to call this whole thing off? I have enough money to do that, you know.’’ Rhett said confidently.

Jerry just grinned at both of them, like Rhett’s words had no impact at all to him. It made Rhett slightly nervous but he was sure there was nothing the man could do to separate them.

‘’Yeah, yeah, yeah you have money and whatever, I’ve heard that before.’’ Jerry laughed and shook his head. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled something out. 

‘’But I’m the one who’s actually in charge here and if you don’t want the whole world to hear just how much fun you two had last night we need to make some compromises,’’ he said, holding up a little memory card.


	13. The Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett thinks the game is over but Link doesn’t agree and surprises everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long to update this!

‘’You lovebirds were a little loud last night. Especially him,’’ Jerry nodded in Link’s direction while smirking.

Rhett turned to look at Link; he expected to see him blushing and uncomfortable, but instead he saw something new. He had seen Link annoyed before but this wasn’t it. He saw Link glaring at Jerry, his eyes full of anger, and even Rhett felt a little intimidated by his lover’s intense gaze. 

Rhett felt disgusted by Jerry and he wanted to punch the guy but like always he would stay as calm as possible, avoiding too much conflict. ‘’Okay, okay… But what are you planning to do? Don’t you think Link is a valuable member of the cast here? Sending him home is a huge mistake and now you’re blackmailing us with that thing.’’ Rhett pointed at the memory card in Jerry’s hand. ‘’This could get really fucking ugly, Jerry.’’ Rhett couldn’t help it, but his voice rose a little despite wanting to stay calm. At the moment Jerry’s face was the most irritating sight in the world.

Before Jerry could open his mouth again Link stepped in between him and Rhett, pointing and putting his finger on Jerry’s chest. ‘’Listen you tiny fucking creep,’’ Link pushed the smaller man, getting even closer to him. Rhett was amused at how he saw panic appear on Jerry’s face. 

‘’Play that tape in every episode if you like, put it in every fucking commercial. I don’t care, let the whole world hear the best night of my life.  _ I. Don’t. Fucking. Care _ . Because I’m not going anywhere.’’ Link spat.

Rhett watched Link in amazement. He actually felt proud and if there was any doubt that he loved Link, now he was sure. His new lover was sassy and feisty and he loved a man with a little temper. He could already picture him having angry, post-argument sex with Link and how fantastically wild it would be.

When he saw Link shove Jerry for the second time, and the man nearly falling onto his ass, Rhett put his hand on Link’s shoulder, holding him back. Maybe Link wasn’t getting kicked out yet, but he certainly would if he assaulted the producer.

‘’I think he’s got the point,’’ Rhett said, gently squeezing Link’s shoulder, making him turn his attention towards him instead of Jerry. 

‘’Are you sure about this? Because he will do it,’’ Rhett continued when Link looked at him, his anger visibly fading and his eyes softening as he looked at Rhett.

‘’I’m sure.’’ Link nodded and then rushed to ask: ‘’I mean, If you’re okay with it? We had fun, let everyone hear how good you treated me last night,’’ Link looked at him mischievously, one corner of his mouth crooking up into a wicked smile.

Rhett hadn’t thought about it from that angle. He had only thought about what Link might feel. Now after everything, Link said he was pretty sure he didn’t mind it either. And then the world would know how good in bed he was. How that could be a bad thing?

Jerry looked absolutely stunned. He wanted to say something, to argue perhaps, but his mouth just opened and closed like a fish on a dry land, but no words came out.

For a second Rhett thought about what his family and friends would think about hearing him having sex, but this was his life after all and he could always warn them beforehand to avoid awkward situations. 

‘’You know what, Link? You’re absolutely right,’’ he smiled at Link and then turned to Jerry. ‘’Do what you want, we don’t care.’’ It felt good to refer himself and Link as  _ ‘’we’’. _ It felt like home.

‘’Fine then.’’ Jerry looked around, probably trying to come up with something else to say about the matter, but instead told the couple to be ready for the day’s other activities within an hour and with that he was gone. Rhett guessed he would need to create a new plan and plot for the show.

When Jerry was out of sight Rhett took a deep breath, he felt like he had been holding it for the whole time. ‘’Link, wow… You really showed him,’’ Rhett pulled Link into a hug but let go when Link didn’t respond to it. He found his blue eyes saw the glazed look on Link’s face. ‘’Link?’’ He asked and nudged him with his shoulder.

Slowly Link looked up. ‘’I don’t know where that came from. I just got so mad and I… All I could think was that I didn’t wanna go home, back to my empty apartment without you…’’ he said quietly, holding onto Rhett’s arms like he was trying to keep himself from falling.

Rhett got worried, maybe Link hadn’t thought this through. ‘’Baby, if you’re not sure about this, it’s not too late-’’

‘’No, no… Let him play the tape, I don’t care, I really don’t. We’ll probably be at home by then, watching this stupid show together and laughing at it when it comes on,’’ Link scraped his nails down Rhett’s back through his shirt, ‘’Or perhaps it’ll make us remember and want... you know… a retake,’’ Link leaned back a little and stuck his tongue out playfully before pulling Rhett down by his neck for a kiss.

Rhett felt his knees go weak from Link’s touch. ‘’So, that’s what you’re thinking about?’’ he cooed.

‘’Don’t tell me it’s not what you're thinking about too,’’ Link chuckled, nibbling Rhett’s earlobe.

‘’All I want is to take you back to my hut right now,’’ Rhett whispered huskily and slid his hand down on Link’s back, squeezing his ass lightly.

‘’Ahem,’’ they heard someone clearing his throat behind them.

‘’Oh, hi Bailey,’’ Link said surprised and hastily withdrew from Rhett’s embrace.

Rhett felt a slight heat rise to his cheeks at getting caught.

‘’So they’re letting you stay?’’ Bailey asked hopefully as he approached Link.

‘’Seems like it,’’ Link shrugged.

‘’Oh?’’ Bailey tilted his head to the side.

‘’That’s a story for later,’’ Link continued with a sly smile which made Rhett think he would be telling all the details to Bailey in the future.

‘’Okay,’’ Bailey nodded and smiled.

Rhett liked watching the two interact, it was like they had been friends for years; they could communicate just by looking at each other. He hoped they all would remain friends after filming, but only time would tell.

Suddenly they heard footsteps and turned to see Chris, the host of the show, coming towards them. He was walking fast and rubbing his palms together nervously.

‘’Hey, sorry to interrupt but could you two-’’ Chris pointed at Link and Bailey ‘’-inform the others to gather around the pool in an hour and a half?’’

‘’Sure thing,’’ Bailey said.

‘’And Rhett, could you come with me?’’ Chris looked at Rhett.

‘’So, is Jerry planning something new since his first plan failed?’’ Rhett asked, squinting.

‘’I’m just a messenger,’’ Chris said and he looked sincerely apologetic since he couldn’t give any more information at the moment.

‘’Alright then,’’ Rhett smiled once more at Link, silently assuring that everything would be okay eventually and watched him and Bailey walk to the elevators.

Rhett followed Chris to the crew’s space and sat down on a couch waiting for further information. The crew didn’t pay much attention to him and he didn’t see Jerry anywhere. Chris came back soon and said he would need to wait for a while as Jerry and his supervisors back in Los Angeles were having a Skype meeting about the show’s future.

‘’I shouldn’t say this, but I think it’s better this way. I’ve worked on this show for many seasons and rarely is the outcome good, or what the bachelor or the bachelorette wanted. The production team always seeks drama to get more of views and to convince people to do things that they might not necessarily do otherwise. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you and Link,’’ Chris patted Rhett’s shoulder.

Rhett was surprised at such a gesture from a person he barely knew. ‘’Thanks, man,’’ Rhett simply said. It was easy to forget how everybody there knew about their situation except the other contestants. Well at least some of them still didn’t know everything, depending on how much Bailey had told them based on and what  Link had said to him.

Rhett sat silently for a few minutes, fidgeting with his fingers and bouncing his legs nervously wondering how much longer he would have to wait. A couple of cameramen were talking to each other further away and Rhett saw a couple of monitors at their table. One was off, but the other showed a view from the lobby which was empty at the moment.

A few more minutes passed and the other cameraman stood up and said he was going to get some coffee, offering to get Rhett some if he liked. Rhett politely declined and kept waiting. He noticed he was now alone in the room and the two monitors became much more interesting than they had been before. He sat up from the couch and went to sit on a chair near the monitors. He watched the lobby for a while, seeing some of the hotel employees going by. Then he noticed many little icons on the side of the screen. He decided to see what they would do if he clicked on them.

Like he had assumed the camera view changed to other locations. He saw Connor and Jeremy in one room, chatting with each other quietly; the second click took him to Link and Bailey in another room. Rhett was immediately curious and turned the volume up a little. He had to admit he felt guilty watching them without them knowing, but they already knew there was a camera in the room, so he didn’t feel too bad.

Link was facing away from the camera which was located in the upper left corner of the room. Bailey was sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing Link and Rhett could see his expressions clearly. He started to listen.

‘’Did everything go well? I was a little worried when Rhett didn’t seem to understand my hints that he should go back to the hut instead looking for you here,’’ Bailey spoke in a quite loud whispery voice which made Rhett snort.

‘’Yeah, we talked…’’ Rhett couldn’t see Link’s expression but the tone of his voice indicated he didn’t necessarily want to talk about it more.

‘’Link, did everything go alright? You said you two needed to talk. Did someone interrupt you?’’ Bailey kept asking, not getting Link’s hints.

Rhett leaned closer to the monitor and saw Link slightly tilting his head, he assumed he just rolled his eyes and then barely audibly he said: ‘’Bailey... we had sex…’’  
  
Bailey’s eyes widened from realization which made Rhett chuckle. ‘’Oh! So, definitely game over for everyone else then,’’ Bailey grinned and fake pouted.

’’No, I really wish the best for you two. You know that. I mean, I like Rhett, he’s handsome and nice and the money wouldn’t have been bad either,’’ Bailey laughed. ‘’But I knew from the start he wasn’t for me,’’ Bailey’s smile faded a little and Rhett felt for him. He knew Bailey’s heart; he was here for looking for someone special like he had been. He was sad he couldn’t be the one for Bailey.  
  
He watched Link lean forward and wrap his arms around Bailey, hugging him tightly. Rhett liked to imagine the hug was from both of them, himself and Link.

  
From the corner of his eye, Rhett saw another person enter in the room but the lighting was darker by the bottom of the screen so he couldn’t make out who it was before he started to speak, making Link and Bailey look in his direction.

‘’Game over huh? I think that means the rest of us just need to try harder. Maybe, big guy Rhett would like to test ride a few others? I definitely know a trick or two our bachelor might enjoy,’’ Jeremy’s cocky voice came from the door frame.

  
Rhett snorted in amusement when he saw Bailey and Link’s eyes widen and the questioning look on their faces.  
  
‘’Stop!’’ Bailey hushed him.  
  
But Jeremy didn’t. He walked to Link, standing right in front of him. He looked down and asked: ‘’Was it good? Is he big everywhere?’’ Rhett could see Link’s annoyed and confused look, expecting him to snap at Jeremy at any moment. He was kind of looking forward to seeing that.  
  
‘’Jeremy seriously! Stop it!’’ Bailey got up from the bed and shoved Jeremy a little to get his attention but Rhett could see a hint of a smile on Bailey's face, this wasn’t all serious, Jeremy probably wasn’t being serious either but Link might not take it lightly.  
  
‘’Okay, okay, jeez, everybody is so sensitive here,’’ Jeremy put his hands up, laughed and backed off. ‘’Remember we all should meet outside soon!’’ He said before leaving the two alone.  
  
‘’I’m sorry. He just doesn’t understand that you actually feel so strongly about Rhett and you’re not just a slut or doing this for attention,’’ Bailey sat on the bed again.  
  
‘’Bailey!’’ Link seemed to be shocked at Bailey using such strong word. Rhett was too since hadn’t heard Bailey curse even lightly. But then Link continued. ‘’Yeah... it’s kinda difficult for me to understand too,’’ Link crossed his legs on the bed. Rhett saw how Link’s hand went to the beaded anklet Rhett had given him.

  
‘’What’s that?’’ Bailey asked, nodding towards the anklet.  


‘’Rhett gave it to me... it was cute…’’ Link looked like he wanted to tell him more but held back. Rhett wouldn’t mind if Link wanted to tell Bailey everything about their night together, but he guessed Link didn’t want to share everything in front of the cameras, even when he had just given his permission to use the audio tape of him having sex on the show.

‘’I’m sure it was,’’ Bailey smiled.

Rhett watched them get ready to go outside with the rest of the contestants and then finally he heard the conference room door open.

‘’Okay, we’re ready now, Rhett. Could you come here, please?’’ Jerry’s voice sounded more neutral now. Rhett didn’t know yet what his supervisors had told him but it seemed like it was something to put Jerry back in his place.

‘’Sure,’’ Rhett said, glancing once more at the monitor, seeing the now empty room.

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett was quite pleased with what the production team had planned for the rest of the time they would be shooting. Link would be able to stay, but Rhett would need to arrange a private date with the rest of the contestants the following week and he couldn’t choose Link first. Instead, he would go on dates with the two men he hadn’t had a date with before. Rhett was fine with that and he hoped Link would be too.

There would be one more ceremony more before moving the next location and he would need to let one person go. Rhett already knew who it would be. He would keep Link, Connor, and Bailey, but then there were Jeremy and Thomas, the two men he had not had a date with yet. Thomas was a quiet guy and not Rhett’s type at all, he would have to let him go. Jeremy was interesting and he liked him and he had noticed Bailey liked him too, so he would keep Jeremy on the show.

Now he only had one announcement to make before the ceremony. He walked through the hotel to the huge glass doors showing a view of the open ocean and swaying palm trees. Rhett made a note to himself to enjoy the warm weather as much as he still could.

When he opened the doors to the large infinity pool his vision was obstructed by another view he wasn’t expecting. All five of the contestants were in front of him in tight little clothes doing yoga with an instructor. He decided not to say anything at first and to just observe. He knew now what visual stimulation meant. He followed their graceful movements, as well as Bailey’s cute little clumsy ones.

Of course his eyes went to Link and how prominent his lean muscles looked in his grey tank top and black yoga pants. His eyes were closed so he didn’t see Rhett when the instructor asked them to get onto their hands and feet. Rhett knew about this position, the downward dog, only because he had done it multiple times himself to release the tension in his lower back.

He had to admit himself he liked looking at all five pairs of cheeks high up in the air, but mostly he liked Link’s tiny perky butt. Just looking at it like that made him think about all the things he had already done to it and all the things he would do in the future.

But before everyone could think he was a total creep for staring, he cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention.

‘’Hey everyone, sorry to interrupt this wonderful activity,’’ he paused for a moment, waiting for everyone to sit down on their mats and listen. He briefly looked them all in the eyes and then smiled at Link.

‘’After this go get ready for lunch and enjoy the rest of this day in paradise. Tonight at the rose ceremony I’ll have to let one of you go,’’ Rhett paused again, sighing deeply. He hated the ceremonies, he didn’t want to send anyone home.

‘’Oh, and make sure to pack your bags carefully tonight because tomorrow we will be leaving Hawaii and heading towards another place with magnificent views…’’

Rhett saw everyone look around at each other curiously.

‘’...in Alaska,’’ Rhett clapped.


	14. Alaska

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their new location is a set of romantic dates and cozy cuddling under snuggly blankets but that’s not the only thing Alaska has to offer...

The rose ceremony the night before had been quite emotional. Thomas had cried for having to go home without a chance to ever go on a date with Rhett alone. Rhett felt bad for him and he was truly sorry but there was nothing he could do.

Four contestants were left and after the week in Alaska there would only be two left. Of course Link would be one of them but who would be the other one? It may not have mattered, but he had agreed to introduce the two finalists to his family and friends and he would also be introducing himself to their families. Who would be ready for that besides Link?

Rhett finished packing his bags. None of the contestants had much luggage. The production team had taken care of all of them having proper clothes for the changing weather.

Rhett was the first to board the plane and get comfortable. He sank into his seat and rubbed his eyes, wishing that filming would be over already so he could go back to live his life with Link without having to ask permissions to be with him from anyone. From the corner of his eye he saw the flight attendant bring a bottle of champagne in ice and chocolate dipped strawberries for them to celebrate another trip together. Rhett wasn’t in the mood to celebrate but when he heard the other contestants boarding the plane he put on a smile and rose up from his seat to welcome them.

Bailey, Connor and Jeremy seemed to be enthusiastic to go skiing and see the views. Bailey was especially happy about the colder weather; he had had enough of the heat. Rhett mostly listened to their bubbling conversation, only occasionally commenting about something. Link spent his time sleeping a couple of seats away from the others. Sometimes Rhett’s gaze drifted to him and each time the corners of his lips curled into a little smile for the man.

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett didn’t have his own residence in Anchorage, although he had visited there a couple of times on vacation when he was younger. The past few years he had left skiing to other people because his back couldn’t handle that kind of activity well. With the help of the production team he had found a perfect place to stay with the contestants. He had not been there before but the private ski lodge for rent had looked amazing in the brochures. It was like a wooden castle beneath a snowy hill, surrounded by tall pine and spruce trees.

The flight took about six hours and they all were a little tired but they still admired the views while on the drive to the lodge. It took a couple of hours more, as they needed to be away from curious eyes and have privacy to film the episodes. They had driven over half an hour without seeing anything else but snowy hills and the road was getting narrower.

‘’We’re really going deep, huh?’’ Link broke the silence in the car.

‘’I promise it’s worth it,’’ Rhett said, a little hesitant. He had doubts too that there could be a castle-like lodge at the end of such a  narrow road, but he hoped the production team had checked out the place beforehand.

After about fifteen more minutes they began seeing something else besides snow and trees. They could see a roof decorated with huge wooden ornaments and the closer they got the bigger the house became. Rhett had no clue how massive the place actually was until he saw the multiple two-story windows covering the front of the building while east wing and west wings of the building seeming like they were never ending. The ski lodge was big enough for at least a hundred people as well as the staff. There would be just five of them and the crew which, was about fifteen people in total. They would have a lot of space but still their privacy was never guaranteed thanks to all the cameras.

‘’Oh, my…’’ Rhett heard Connor say as they stepped out of the car and he thought that was probably what everyone else was thinking too. They all stared at the place in wonderment. Snowy trees framed the lodge, ski slopes peeking from behind it and the setting sun reflecting from the big windows was a gorgeous sight. The hotel in Hawaii hadn’t been even a third of the size of this place.

Christmas was still a couple of months away but the way the lights glimmered on the snowy surfaces in the dimming night felt festive. He could easily imagine himself and Link by the fireplace with cups of hot cocoa, snuggled up to each other under a warm oversized blanket. Just as he was thinking about Link Rhett saw him and Bailey and Jeremy walking briskly towards the house, hands tucked into their pockets and shoulders up high like they were shielding themselves from the cold. Just at that moment Rhett realized he was a bit chilly himself. He nudged Connor slightly.

‘’Shall we go too?’’ Rhett nodded towards rest of the group, bringing Connor back to earth from his thoughts.

‘’Sure thing. This just reminded me of the place my family and I used to visit when I was a kid. I have lots of memories of those winters,’’ Connor sounded almost sad.

‘’You had a house this big where you’d go just for vacation?’’ Rhett asked jokingly.

‘’Hah, no, I wish. It was a lot smaller and there were six of us plus our extended family. But those were good times. No worries, just kids playing in the snow and afterwards getting called in for mom’s excellent meals,’’ Connor smiled, glancing at Rhett.

‘’That sounds good,’’ Rhett nodded.

Connor said he had three sisters, all older than him, and they were still close, seeing each other weekly. He didn’t mention anything else about his parents. Rhett decided it was probably not a good time to ask either. He enjoyed Connor’s stories, he was a good storyteller, and he could easily imagine everything happening, like he was actually there with him in his memories.

Soon they joined the rest of the group. Link had a questioning look on his face, probably wondering what Rhett had talked about with Connor, but Rhett just shrugged it off and then gently put his hand on Link’s lower back, guiding him into the lodge.

First they came into a huge lounge which opened all the way up through the three floors. A massive chandelier made of moose antlers was hanging over a couch set which was big enough for twenty people. On each side of the lounge were fireplaces bigger than Rhett had ever seen and in front of those were another set of comfy looking chairs and pillows and rugs of various colors. The walls were all exposed round logs except the entrances to each wing of the building which were painted white.

‘’Time to find our rooms I guess!’’ Rhett said, clapping his hands together. He had been told earlier that his room would be the only room on the third floor. Rhett assumed that the word ’’room’’ probably wouldn’t do much justice to the actual size of the place.

As the others went to explore he took the elevator to his room and he had been right. It was like a decent sized apartment with its own living room, bedroom and bathroom. With further exploration, he found a walk-in closet and another smaller room with a desk and a chair, apparently meant to be an office space. The decor was the same style as it had been in the downstairs, lots of wood and big furniture, rugs, and other textiles. Rhett could easily picture himself living there full time.

There was a fireplace in the living room area with a loveseat in front of it. There were candles in the fireplace instead of logs to burn. Rhett would definitely light those later in the night after a hot bath in the big lion paw bathtub he had seen in the bathroom. But first he needed to change clothes and freshen himself up a little by splashing cold water on his face and fixing his hair. They would be having dinner as a group soon and then for the rest of the night they would have to rest after the long trip. Tomorrow there would be a lot of activities and Rhett knew he needed a good night’s sleep before even thinking about skiing.

He changed from his comfy traveling clothes into a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with a cactus print, it was a shirt for the opposite climate but that’s what he liked about it.

When he exited his room he decided not to take the elevator but instead used the stairs. He still had some time to explore before dinner and he wanted to know where Link’s’ room was. On the second floor he tried to listen for noises but the corridor was so long he couldn’t hear anything without walking further.

One door was ajar and he pondered whether he should peek in or not. He could hear someone moving around. He went closer.  _ Maybe just a quick peek…  _ He thought and went by the door. He saw someone in the room but he didn’t have time to make out who it was. He walked by the door again and still no luck, it could’ve been Link or then...

‘’Rhett?’’ Jeremy’s curious voice came from the room.

_ Dangit. _ Rhett stopped in his tracks.

‘’Peeking in on me, huh?’’ Jeremy sounded amused.

Rhett turned around to see him lean on the doorframe in the now wide open door.

‘’No, no… I was just…’’ Rhett felt himself blushing.

‘’It’s alright, man. I know I’ll probably get lost in this place at some point too. Probably tonight after too many drinks,’’ he chuckled and went back into his room again, leaving the door open.

Rhett followed him but not inside his room. ‘’Uhm… Do you happen to know where the others are?’’

‘’You mean  _ Link _ ?’’ Jeremy glanced at Rhett over his shoulder.

‘’Everyone,’’ Rhett said quickly.

Jeremy sat on the bed, crossing his legs. He looked at Rhett for a moment, like studying him. ‘’I don’t know, Rhett,’’ he said.

‘’Okay… I’ll go look around… See you at dinner,’’ Rhett said, scratching his head. He felt uncomfortable under Jeremy’s gaze for some reason.

‘’Sure,’’ Jeremy said and Rhett left.

There was something mysterious about Jeremy, he was a lot like Link in many ways, not just by his looks but they had similar movements and that same kind of mischievousness. Jeremy was a very good looking guy, roughly ten years younger than Rhett but he felt like there could have been something between them if his heart had not already chosen Link.

He wandered around the lodge for another fifteen minutes without bumping into anyone else, the place was that huge. He decided it would be best just to ask Link where his room was at dinner. It would be pointless to start knocking on dozens of doors to find him. He came to an open area on the second floor, it was like a huge balcony where he could see downstairs’ lounge. He leaned over the thick, wooden railing and looked down where he saw a couple of crew members going somewhere. It was already dark outside but from the big windows he could see the lights illuminating the front yard. The view was beautiful, like a winter wonderland.

‘’There you are!’’ Link’s enthusiastic voice came from behind Rhett.

Rhett turned around and immediately he started to smile, Link had that effect on him.

‘’I looked for you everywhere,’’ Link gave Rhett a quick hug.

‘’I was looking for you too,’’ Rhett said, making Link raise his eyebrows.

‘’Oh? Why?’’ Link asked.

‘’Why you were looking for me?’’

‘’I asked you first,’’ Link pushed Rhett playfully.

‘’I wanted to know which room you would be staying in,’’

‘’Oh… Well, I was looking for you to tell you my room number. It’s 21.’’ Link patted Rhett’s chest while chewing his bottom lip, wiggling his eyebrows.

Rhett noted it was close to Jeremy’s room, he wondered if Jeremy actually didn’t know or had he lied to him. Rhett didn’t know why he would have lied so he pushed that thought out of his head.

‘’I’m on the third floor, it’s a very nice room. I’ll show it to you later,’’ Rhett winked.

‘’I bet you will,’’ Link stuck out his tongue.

‘’Hey, guys! You up there?’’ Bailey shouted from downstairs and both of them looked over the railing seeing Bailey looking up.

‘’Yeah, we’ll be right down!’’ Link shouted at him.

‘’I’m so hungry, I hope they have something good,’’ Link said, tugging at Rhett’s arm and leading him to the stairs.

Rhett agreed, his stomach was growling. They had eaten on the plane but the cold weather and long day had made him incredibly hungry. He happily followed Link downstairs.

He liked what Link was wearing: big winter boots, tight blue jeans, a black sweater with a wolf’s face on it and the biggest black scarf that ever existed tied loosely around his neck. He looked good and he had to admit he liked the view from the back even more. The tight jeans really complimented Link’s cute little butt.

**~~~*~~~**

Everyone was tired at the dinner and not many words were exchanged. Steak and mashed potatoes filled them up quickly and everyone seemed happy yet waiting to go to bed. Rhett knew he was definitely ready to end the day. Jeremy and Connor seemed to enjoy the red wine and they decided to hang around in the lounge playing card games for a while. Bailey said he would be taking a bath and then going to bed. Rhett wished goodnight to them all and followed Link upstairs, walking him to his door. A couple of cameramen were following them so Rhett didn’t think it would be best just to go to his own room.

‘’I’ll see you in the morning,’’ Rhett said.

‘’Can I have a goodnight’s kiss?’’ Link asked quietly.

Rhett leaned in and put his hands on Link’s upper arms. Link’s hands held him by his waist as their lips sought for each other for a warm, tender kiss.

Rhett sighed deeply, he really didn’t want to let Link go but eventually he did. ‘’Good night, Link,’’ he said and stroked Link’s stubble covered cheek with the back of his hand. Link gave him a smile before entering his room. Rhett waited there until the door was fully closed before he took the stairs one floor up.

He was thankful the cameras didn’t follow him to his room where he could finally relax. Once he closed the door he leaned on it for a while.  _ Just a couple more weeks.  _ He thought and lazily started to undress himself. Usually he would neatly put his clothes away but now he let them fall on the floor as he made his way to the bathroom. He started to run water in the bathtub and walked back to the living room naked and lit the candles in the fireplace before turning on the stereo. Soft jazz music started playing and he was pleased. Then he took a couple of towels from the cabinet and went back to the bathroom. He lit up the two scented candles he found there. The tub was filling up quickly and he stepped in.

He laid back, his eyes fell shut and he let the warm water embrace his body. He could hear the slow beat of the music coming through the door and the berry scented candles didn't smell too strong, not overpowering the natural wood smell the place had.

He sighed deeply from comfort, the only thing what would make the situation better was if Link was there with him. Rhett imagined Link laying in the bath with him. His dark, wet hair resting on Rhett's shoulder and chest. He would hold him close for a moment, just enjoying each other and relaxing after a long day.

Slowly he would start to caress Link's arms and thighs under the water and see his wet lips part slightly as an invitation for a kiss. He would kiss the side of his head and neck and then turn his head up for a kiss as he lifted Link to sit on his lap instead of him being between his legs.

Rhett swallowed thickly, feeling his arousal growing in the warm water. He imagined Link moving his hips in slow, teasing circles. Rhett could almost hear him chuckle deep from his throat and it gave Rhett goosebumps all over. He wanted Link to tease him, to play with him, to torture him to the edge of sanity before giving him release and he wanted to do the same to Link.

Rhett had to touch himself a little, fingers gracing over his hardness as he imagined Link in his lap, slowly taking Rhett into his tight, slick heat and riding him, making the water splash everywhere. His moans would fill the room and just as he came close he would make Link turn around in his lap so he could look into those gorgeous blue eyes as he filled him up.

Rhett moved his hand faster, eyes shut tightly, his sighs and quiet moans slipping out and Link’s name on his lips he came in his hand.

He cleaned himself quickly and blew out the candles. He tied a soft towel around his waist and used another towel to dry his hair as he walked back to the living room area. He wrapped the towel around his shoulders and walked to the bar cabinet to get himself a drink. There were various bottles but he chose to make himself a whiskey on the rocks. The liquid burned his throat in a pleasant way. He sat on the couch and just then he saw a letter on the coffee table. His name was written on it. Rhett put his glass on the table and picked the letter up, wondering if it had been there the whole time or if someone had brought it while he was in the bathroom. Rhett looked around quickly, not really thinking that someone would be there but just to make sure he was alone. He opened the envelope and there was familiar cursive print, he knew it would be about the show and what was about to happen tomorrow.

_ ‘’What now…’’ _ he said to himself.

_ Second chances are a great thing in life.  _

_ Someone deserved more than he got, _

_ time to bring him back. _

__

Rhett stared at the text and read it over and over again.  _ ‘’They are bringing someone back?’’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come to say hi to me at Tumblr! ^^](https://jacularmetteld.tumblr.com/)


	15. Outdoors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sunny day, skiing, hot chocolate, a hot tub, and someone from the past.

Rhett was standing on the slope waiting for the others. He was a little scared of being on skis, it had been a long time since he had last been skiing and even standing up made his legs shake. The letter from last night had kept him up thinking. Was Jerry bringing someone back just to piss him off?

He watched the cameramen taking their places around him and he assumed the others would be close. He had planned group activities for the day and a date with someone later. He couldn’t choose Link this time; Jerry had made it very clear he needed to go on dates with the others before he could pick Link again. He hoped he wouldn’t feel too bad about it and would trust that Rhett only fancied him, no matter what happened.

After a few minutes the ski lift started to move and Rhett got ready to meet the others. His toes were already cold even though it was a sunny day. The snow was unbearably white so he had sunglasses on. 

The first pair to arrive was Bailey and Link followed by Connor and Jeremy. He greeted them and told them what they were about to do. He was excited that he had a nice surprise for everyone since he wasn't too keen on skiing himself.

‘’Now, take your skis off and grab yourself a sled!’’ Rhett pointed towards the sleds of various sizes and colors behind him, making everyone cheer and laugh.

‘’Oh my gosh! Yes, this is the best! The whole morning I was terrified I’d have to somehow stay up on these things!’’ Bailey kicked off his skis and was the first one to pick a sled for himself, making everyone laugh again.

‘’Wow, I have no idea when I last did this, probably thirty years ago, ’’Connor chuckled. He patted Rhett’s shoulder, shaking his head and smiling.

‘’This is a great idea!’’ Link said grinning as he followed Bailey to pick a sled.

‘’Are you sure there’s one big enough for me?’’ Connor continued, looking down his long frame.

‘’I sure hope so because I need one too,’’ Rhett grinned, playfully nudging Connor with his elbow.

Jeremy was the only one who didn’t seem too happy. He seemed quite hesitant to pick up any of the sleds.

‘’Something wrong?’’ Rhett asked worriedly.

‘’Uhm, last time I got on one of these I broke my arm. I collided with my brother, it was a long time ago though,’’ he shrugged.

Rhett didn’t know where the words came from but he asked: ‘’Would you like to ride with me then, at least on the first round?’’

Jeremy looked up at him, a surprised expression on his face. ‘’Oh, uh… I’d like that,’’ he said.

Just then Rhett realized how close they would be in the sled, even in the biggest one. It would be a tiny space for two grown men. Rhett glanced at Link who was looking away from them but he was close enough that he had heard their conversation. Link had sunglasses on, Rhett couldn't read his exact expression, but he looked tense.

‘’Alright then!’’ Rhett exclaimed and picked up the longest sled. ‘’I’ll sit in the back,’’ he continued. He maneuvered himself against the back of the sled as best he could and spread his legs, making room for Jeremy to sit between them. All the others had chosen to ride alone at least for their first time. They were waiting for them to get into the right position before going down the hill. 

Jeremy barely fit in the sled with Rhett but somehow they managed to get comfortable enough. Rhett felt a little awkward but he knew the feeling would be gone once they started moving. Rhett pushed them a little to line up with the others.

‘’Oh, nonono…’’ Jeremy started chanting.

‘’It’ll be alright, buddy,’’ Connor said next to them, and reached over to pat his arm.

‘’If you want we can watch the others go first,’’ Rhett said calmly.

Jeremy tilted his head but with heavy winter clothing he couldn’t quite tilt far enough to look Rhett in the eyes. ‘’No, just… let’s do this,’’ he said nodding like he was assuring himself that he wanted it.

‘’As you wish! 1,2...3!’’ Rhett shouted and gave them a hard push. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around the smaller man, both of them screaming. Rhett could barely hear the others following them, but the feel of them picking up speed was amazing and snow was flying everywhere around them. He felt like a kid again.

Everyone reached the bottom of the hill safely and Rhett loved watching the sheer joy on everyone’s faces. Even Jeremy was laughing and demanding to go again. 

After a few more slides they started to get exhausted and stopped to lie on the snow, catching their breath and laughing. After a moment, as Rhett was still lying on the ground, he saw Bailey chasing Link with snowballs in each hand. Link’s wild giggles and screams echoed in the open air while the others watched the two, shaking their heads and smiling. It reminded Rhett of the art class from a few weeks ago and how everyone had been having fun then too. They’d all had great chemistry together and Rhett felt like he’d formed a new group of friends for himself and was happy. He had other friends around the world but this group felt more special.

Rhett’s trail of thoughts stopped when he saw Link running directly at him. ‘’Save me!’’ Link yelled and basically threw himself on Rhett.

‘’Oof!’’ Rhett yelped under Link’s weight. He sat up and was about to cover Link from Bailey’s snowball attack but didn’t see that one snowball was already coming their way and as he sat up the big ball of snow hit him right in the middle of his face, making him fall down again.

It was silent for a moment, except for a few gasps around him but then Rhett started to laugh and he felt Link laughing on top of him.

‘’Good hit, Bailey!’’ Jeremy cackled from the distance.

Link got off from on top of him. ‘’Wow, you look amazing,’’ he said and started to wipe the snow from Rhett’s face. 

Rhett still couldn’t see anything so he took off his sunglasses and noticed that the snow had somehow gotten behind the glasses too.

‘’You really got me, Bailey,’’ he said as he was cleaning the rest of his face.

‘’I didn’t aim at you, it was you who decided to put your face in the way!’’ Bailey defended himself, making everyone laugh again.

Rhett looked at Link, who had an amused look on his face. It was the best sight he had seen all day, no matter how gorgeous the views were around them. Link helped him up and Rhett wiped the snow off his clothes. ‘’Okay, I think everyone has had enough sledding. There’s a hot cocoa bar waiting in the lodge but I’d like to continue the day outdoors with someone.’’

Rhett saw the contestants looking at each other, except Link who looked a little worried. He knew Rhett couldn’t pick him.

‘’Connor, I would like to go on a little sightseeing tour with you,’’ Rhett asked, smiling at the tall man.

Connor stepped forward. ‘’I’d like that,’’ he smiled back. 

The others started to head back to the lodge; they didn’t seem too disappointed. Bailey was already all over the idea of having a mug of hot cocoa next to the huge fireplace.

‘’So, where are we going then?’’ Connor asked curiously.

‘’You’ll see, our ride should arrive soon,’’ Rhett grinned.

They didn’t have a chance to exchange another word when they heard noises coming from behind the hill and in just a matter of seconds a helicopter flew into sight, blowing snow everywhere.

‘’Are you kidding me? Woah!’’ Connor yelled when the helicopter came closer. They covered their faces when the helicopter started to land, keeping the snow from blowing into their eyes.

‘’Hop in!’’ Rhett yelled and guided them to the door. This wasn’t Rhett’s own helicopter but was similar to it in size; perfect for four people. Of course Rhett wished it could be just the two of them and the pilot, but one cameraman jumped in too, facing the couple. 

The rotors were too loud to hear anything so Rhett pointed at the headphones and helped Connor put them on so they could speak and actually hear each other.

‘’Have you ever been in a helicopter?’’ Rhett asked and Connor shook his head.

‘’First time, man. How about you?’’

‘’Enough times to have one of my own,’’ Rhett smiled as he saw Connor’s eyes widen. He also liked how Connor grabbed his leg when they got higher than the tallest hills around.

‘’Do you fly it?’’

‘’I wish,’’ Rhett said and it was true, he hoped someday he would have enough time to learn how.

As Rhett had not been to Anchorage many times, the pilot pointed out views and places as they flew towards their destination. Rhett had a special treat waiting for Connor. As much as he wished he could be with Link, he was happy he could offer Connor this memorable experience. He would have time to be with Link later.

After a short flight the helicopter started to land close to a building at the edge of a cliff, mountains surrounding the area.

They got out and watched the helicopter fly away.

‘’Would you like to go on another little sightseeing tour with me, a much quieter version this time?’’ Rhett asked.

‘’Of course!’’ Connor sounded sincerely excited.

Rhett nodded, not towards the building but what was beside it, an aerial tram which would take them across the bottom of the canyon and then back, giving them fantastic views of the snowy mountains and the huge open river. 

They climbed into the cabin and Rhett was glad the cameraman didn’t join them. There were a couple of smaller cameras installed in the tram but it was fine. There were seats and a little table with two glasses and a wine bottle to warm them up.

Rhett was tempted to ask about Connor’s past with Link but decided to keep the conversation neutral and just talk about the views and their hopes and dreams; what they both wanted from life. Rhett liked to talk with Connor, it was easy and comfortable, like they had known each other for years.

On the way back Connor stood up and scooted close to the window, he had taken off his heavy coat and had a wine glass in his hand, taking small sips every now and then while Rhett listened to him speak. He stood up and went to stand beside Connor who turned to look at him with his beautiful deep brown eyes. He was tempted to get even closer; he could almost feel Connor’s breath on his face.

He saw again how gorgeous Connor was. His smile was brighter than the snow and almost everything about his presence was comforting. Rhett, or anyone for that matter, could easily fall for this man. But Rhett knew if Link were there with them right now he would only have eyes for him so instead of giving him a kiss he just leaned in and hugged the man gently and Connor wrapped his free arm around Rhett too. ‘’It’s okay,’’ Connor said quietly and Rhett knew what he meant by it. It was okay that Rhett couldn’t offer him more of himself.

After the date and after getting back to the lodge Rhett sent Connor back with the others to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa. Rhett wished he could’ve joined them but he had to change his clothes and film a few diary segments about the events of the day, but he would see them after that. 

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett could hear the contestants speaking and laughing with each other in the main lounge as he approached them. It sounded wonderful, like a family. He felt warmth flooding inside of him just thinking about being with these people.

Everyone turned to look at him with smiles on their faces. Rhett went to sit beside Link and when he did he felt like home, they had been apart just a few hours but it could’ve been weeks. His feelings towards Link were strong and it felt like they got stronger every day. Link leaned against him slightly, letting their arms to touch briefly.

‘’So, there’s a nice hot tub in the backyard, I thought I would give it a try. Anyone wanna join me?’’ Rhett asked casually.

‘’It’s outside? Won’t we be freezing?’’ Bailey’s eyes widened with shock.

‘’The water is warm, silly,’’ Jeremy smacked Bailey’s arm lightly, making everyone else chuckle.

‘’Oh, but our heads won’t be underwater…’’ Bailey continued, blushing a little.

‘’I suggest everyone wears a hat, besides swimming trunks of course, let’s not get totally wild… Yet,’’ Rhett smirked.

‘’Perv,’’ Link whispered jokingly.

‘’Well, I’m in, all my muscles are sore from the sledding,’’ Jeremy said.

‘’Me too,’’ Connor agreed.

‘’I definitely want to try it,’’ Link said, already getting up from his seat.

Rhett looked at Bailey questiongly.

‘’I don’t wanna be left out so, yes,’’ Bailey said after a moment of hesitation.

‘’Okay, whenever you’re ready. The tub is on the left from the door in the bar.

Everyone went in the direction of their rooms to get ready for the hot tub and Rhett took the elevator to his suite. Normally he would take the stairs but the day had been long already.

Rhett tied a big, fluffy towel around him and put his black beanie on. He slipped on the bedroom slippers and took the elevator downstairs. He was close to the bar when he heard two voices, he stopped in his tracks. Whatever it was going on there sounded like a heated argument but with hushed voices. It took a moment for Rhett to realize it was Connor and Link speaking. Rhett was curious but he knew he shouldn’t be eavesdropping. He thought maybe he should cough or make some sort of noise to let the two know he was there.

_ ‘’No, we can’t discuss it now and besides we’re not allowed to anyway. Remember what Jerry said?’’ _ Rhett could hear Link talking. Now he was more curious than ever. He wanted to peek in but then he might be seen.

_ ‘’But maybe it’s for the best we both get sent home? You and Rhett… we… this whole thing, it’s so complicated,’’  _ Connor murmured.

_ ‘’Not now, Connor,’’  _ Link sounded defeated.

Rhett wanted to know more but he was a little jealous remembering that Connor and Link shared a past. Just then he saw a cameraman coming towards him from the hallway and he didn’t want him to interrupt whatever Connor and Link were talking about; it would be better if it were him rather than the cameraman. Rhett turned around the corner and took a split second before he coughed, letting the two know he was there. He saw Connor’s hand slide away from Link’s upper waist and both of them step away from each other quickly.

If it wasn't jealousy he had felt before it definitely was now. It didn’t help that Link didn’t look him in the eye. ‘’Oh, you’re here. Let’s go outside then. I was the first one here so I didn’t want to go by myself,’’ Link explained rushedly.

‘’Yeah, we decided to wait for you and the others,’’ Connor said quickly, nervously slicking back his hair before putting his beanie on.

Rhett chose to ignore what he had seen since he knew the cameraman would be there any second. He just smiled: ‘’Okay, let’s go outside then.’’

Rhett knew it was probably nothing and he already knew Link was there because he had come for Connor and not him, at least at first. Their ‘’thing’’ had ended quite some time ago and there were still some things they needed to talk about that they probably didn’t want to say in front of everyone. Rhett trusted Link loved him like he loved Link and wouldn’t go back to Connor. Because if he still had feelings for Connor… 

_ Well, Connor would be a tough opponent. _

But still seeing Connor touch Link like that, in such a caring way, made Rhett feel things he hadn’t felt before.

He opened the door and felt the cold air hit his chest. The small gathering area in the backyard was surrounded by a tall wooden fence and was decorated with little lights which gave a warm glow to the area. A couple of torches were lit and placed near the bubbling hot tub. It looked inviting. The patio had underfloor heating so the grey tiles leading to the hot tub were clear of snow. He took off his towel, revealing his black swimming trunks. He tossed the towel on the bench but waited and let Connor and Link climb into the hot tub first. Link wasn’t wearing his mint green swimming trunks but had on similar black ones. He was teeny bit disappointed, but the black ones were nice too and made Rhett want to sink his face in those soft perky cheeks.

Link let out an audible sigh when the warm water enveloped him and Rhett liked how he saw a wide smile spread across Link’s face. Connor sat a little further away in the big hot tub, which Rhett appreciated. It made him think he had definitely overreacted about what he had seen.

Rhett climbed in the hot tub as well and before he sat down he heard the door open and close and Bailey and Jeremy coming out. Bailey didn’t seem too happy and was already complaining about the cold air. Rhett rolled his eyes, smiling. He decided to sit down right next to Link; it just felt like the most natural place.

The other two joined them and for a moment everyone was quiet, enjoying the water warming and massaging their sore bodies. Rhett let his eyelids close as he took in the comforting feeling. He tried to focus on the situation but the image of Connor’s hand on Link’s waist kept popping up in his mind, he couldn’t help it. 

Rhett startled slightly when he felt Link touching his hand underwater. He shot his eyes open and turned to look at Link who smiled and nodded to him, as if he were indicating that everything was alright. Rhett opened his palm and Link slid his hand in it. Rhett nodded back, a very small movement and smiled, grabbing Link’s hand. He wanted to lean in and a kiss him but he didn't want to do it in front of the others.

After a few minutes they began to talk, mostly about everyday topics, music, their jobs, their pets… Rhett learned Bailey had five cats and two dogs and all of them shared the same bed at night.

‘’I’d definitely not let them all sleep in the bed,’’ Jeremy said.

‘’Well, it’s not your bed!’’ Bailey said defensively.

Rhett noticed something, he could be wrong, but it seemed like Bailey and Jeremy had something going on between them. It was the way they talked to each other and the way Jeremy looked almost sad when Bailey said his bed wasn’t Jeremy’s.

Rhett saw Connor looking at them too and he turned his head, raising one eyebrow in question. Rhett shrugged back; he wasn’t the only one noticing the tension between Jeremy and Bailey.

At some point one of the staff members in the lodge came to offer them beers and wine which they gladly accepted. They were all relaxed, singing songs and telling naughty stories from their past as they got more tipsy. Link never stopped holding his hand underwater. The night was perfect. The five of them, under the starry sky, steaming breaths, warm beanies and bubbling water.

A couple more drinks and then they were informed that dinner would be ready soon so reluctantly they got out of the water. As the others went inside, Rhett pulled Link back by his arm and when Link turned back to look he landed a soft kiss on his lips which Link melted right into. Rhett wished he could have taken Link up to his room to continue the night there, just the two of them, but that wasn’t an option.

It took a moment for everyone to get clothes on and go to the dinner table but eventually they all managed. The drinking continued at dinner and everyone was having fun.

Rhett had already forgotten about the letter from the  night before when they all heard the big front doors open and wind blowing in. Their laughter stopped and Rhett got up from his seat. Link got up too and all the others came after him, following the noise to the lounge. They all stopped in their tracks as they saw who was waiting for them.

‘’Oh hi, darling. Did ya miss me?’’ Lucas chirped at Rhett. He threw his coat on the ground and walked past Rhett, smiling widely at him, his smile disappearing quickly when he saw Link. 

‘’I’m back, bitches. Time to have fun.’’


	16. The Secret Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting complicated after the new housemate’s arrival but at least Rhett still can find time for Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mentions of not super consensual touchy feely things!

Rhett woke up with a pounding headache. The relaxed atmosphere had changed last night after Lucas had joined the team again. Lucas babbled about how much he had missed Rhett while he was away, making everyone uncomfortable. Rhett nodded and tried to be polite because he knew he couldn’t send Lucas home until the rose ceremony later in the week. That was the deal he’d made with Jerry.

Slowly Rhett got out of the bed and went to wash his face before changing out his pajamas into a pair of jeans and a warm, dark green wool sweater. He styled his hair quickly, leaving it messier than he usually would. His headache wasn’t giving up so he grabbed a couple of painkillers from his toiletry kit.

Breakfast would be served at 9 A.M. and he had about half an hour to go, so he made his bed and lay down, waiting for the painkillers to kick in. He made a mental note to be at the breakfast table early, he had a hunch that if he wasn’t, Lucas and Link would be at each other throats in a matter of minutes.

He had to admit to himself that in some weird way it felt good that two men were fighting over his attention. Lucas wasn’t bad looking at all and in its own way his temper was cute, but in the long run Rhett knew it would be too much for him to handle. Besides, Link was the best thing that had ever happened to him. His mind had already drifted from thinking of Lucas to Link and his amazingly tight jeans and ridiculously big winter boots.  _ How could he possibly be so attractive? _

He began to get dozy thanks to the painkillers and a bad night. His mind kept wandering to Link’s body, his lips, holding him, kissing him, combing his fingers through Link’s jet black hair as he kneeled in front of him…

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett woke up with a startle.  _ ‘’Oh, shit! How long did I sleep?’’ _ He fumbled around the bedside table to find his wristwatch, taking a couple of seconds for his eyes to focus on the time. It was already a quarter after nine. He swung himself from the bed and hurried out of his room and to the elevator. He hoped everyone else would be late too and shook his head to wake himself up faster. At least his headache was gone.

When he arrived at the lobby he was happy he didn’t hear loud noises coming from the dining room; no one was fighting. He was relieved for a moment until he finally stepped into the room. He saw only Lucas sitting there.

‘’Good morning,’’ Rhett said bluntly.

‘’G’morning, handsome,’’ Lucas smiled.

There was something wicked about his smile and for a moment Rhett thought maybe Lucas had murdered all the other contestants so he would be the only one left for Rhett to choose. He wasn’t serious, but the thought crossed his mind. He was glad when he started to hear other footsteps approaching and wouldn’t have to spend much more time alone with Lucas.

Not many words were exchanged, just casual ‘’good mornings’’ to everyone before getting a plate and grabbing whatever breakfast they wanted. Rhett went for tea, banana oatmeal and a bacon sandwich. He noticed Link was the only one with Cocoa Pebbles and nothing else but coffee. He wanted to say some funny remark about his childish choice but Lucas was already looking at Link and he was rolling his eyes to Link’s choice of breakfast. Rhett didn’t need to add the fuel to the fire by giving more attention to Link.

Bailey had noticed that Lucas was about to say something so he quickly turned to Rhett. ‘’So, can you tell us about today’s agenda?’’

Rhett was relieved when Lucas moved his attention from Link to him, listening for what he would say.

‘’Oh, it will be fun. I can’t say yet what it is but put on your warmest clothes, you’re gonna experience the ride of a lifetime,’’ Rhett winked at Bailey.

Lucas cocked his head to the side and looked at Link again. ‘’I bet someone has already experienced that,’’ he said under his breath. Immediately Bailey elbowed his side, trying to control him even a little, since Bailey was the only one Lucas would actually listen to.

Rhett saw Link look up and sigh deeply, chewing his bottom lip to keep himself from saying anything back. 

‘’I suggest everyone eats a little bit extra for breakfast, lunch will be a little later than normal,’’ Rhett continued, hoping a simple breakfast wouldn’t turn into a catastrophe.

Everyone else decided to fill up their plates again. Except Link. ‘’I think I’m gonna take a nap, I just don’t have an appetite this morning,’’ he glanced at Rhett and then at Lucas.

‘’Oh, yeah? Gonna take a nap in your room or in Connor’s room where you were last night?’’ Lucas shot back.

Link’s face dropped.

Rhett swore his own heart skipped several beats.  _ What?! Was it true? _

‘’It was nothing like that! As a matter of fact, it’s none of your business. So stay out of it!’’ Link snapped.

Connor looked like he was getting smaller, sinking into his chair.

All Rhett could think about were Connor’s hands on Link’s waist last night.

‘’We just talked, that’s all,’’ Link said sharply.

‘’Yeah,  _ talked _ ,’’ Lucas made air quotations.

‘’Whatever!’’ Link shouted and stormed out of the room.

‘’Drama queen,’’ Lucas shrugged.

‘’Stop it, please,’’ Bailey pleaded and then looked at Jeremy for some support.

‘’Meow, meow, scratch, scratch,’’ Jeremy said and made a tired motion with his hand like cat scratching and continued eating his breakfast, showing he didn’t have the slightest bit of interest in the matter.

Connor got up from his seat and went to Rhett, saying; ‘’Rhett, we just talked, I would never… and Link would never do that to you. You have to know that.’’ he sounded apologetic and almost scared.

‘’Geez, everyone is so sensitive,’’ Lucas rolled his eyes.

Rhett ignored Lucas’ remark ‘’Yeah, I know, Connor… I’d better go talk to him,’’ Rhett pushed his plate away and got up.

‘’Oh, come on!’’ Lucas threw his napkin on the table. ‘’It’s beyond a miracle his slut ass is even here anymore, he must have really gotten into Rhett’s head!’’

Rhett stopped for a moment, gritting his teeth together.  _ How dare he talk about Link like that!? Wow, I’m just happy Link didn’t hear that. I wish I hadn’t too.  _ Rhett had promised to Jerry to play nice so he started walking again, trying to ignore Lucas’ nasty comments.

Rhett left the dining room, he could hear how Bailey started to yell at Lucas for being so rude. He was glad for that, he made a mental note to thank Bailey later but now he wanted to see Link; he needed to know why he and Connor were sneaking around behind his back. He admitted to himself he felt a little angry thinking about Link going into Connor’s room in the middle of the night, but he pushed those feelings aside as he reached the second-floor hallway. He stood behind Link’s door and raised his hand to knock, but before he could Link’s voice came from inside; ‘’Come on in.’’

Rhett guessed Link had heard his footsteps. He opened the door, stepping in. He saw Link sitting on the bed, his legs lifted up on it and crossed, Rhett couldn’t read the expression on his face, he felt distant to his surroundings.

Rhett closed the door after him, leaving the nosy cameraman behind it. He sat on the bed beside Link, leaving a little gap between them. ‘’You wanna talk about it?’’

‘’About why I was in Connor’s room last night? Not really,’’ Link said, looking away from Rhett. 

Rhett glanced at him and then looked at his lap, playing with his thumbs. ‘’Link…’’

‘’It’s not about me and you… Don’t worry. Connor asked me yesterday if we could meet because he needed someone to talk to. About his own issues and feelings and since we… we’re are already friends in real life he felt like he could trust me. I know it must’ve looked suspicious... me going into his room after lights being out, but I was just being a friend to him,’’ Link spoke, his voice steady but quiet.

‘’Did he think, you were  _ just _ a friend, in the middle of the night…?’’ Rhett couldn’t help but ask.

‘’Yes, Rhett. He left me, remember?’’ Link put his hand on Rhett’s shoulder, stroking it a little.

‘’I don’t know, maybe he wants you back?’’ Rhett felt the nasty seed of jealousy sprouting again.

Link smirked, ‘’Even if he did, it doesn’t matter. I only want you.’’ Link got onto his knees and wrapped his arms around Rhett, putting his head on his shoulder. ‘’I want to go home with you, no one else,’’ Link squeezed him tighter.

Rhett’s heart didn’t feel heavy anymore. He wanted to know what Connor and Link had talked about but it wasn’t his business if Connor didn’t want to talk to him about it. He trusted Link but he couldn’t help but feel like he had left some things unsaid. He didn’t blame Link for it, there were eyes and ears everywhere.

Rhett turned, making Link let go of him. For a moment he just looked into those beautiful blue eyes and he knew he wanted the same, he wanted to go home with Link. He leaned closer, letting Link close the gap between them. Their lips met in a soft kiss and the next thing he knew Link had climbed into his lap, straddling him. He ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of Link’s lips, begging for an entrance and when he was granted one he happily took the advance of massaging Link’s tongue with his own. Link tasted like coffee and cereal and at the moment it was the best combination he’d ever had.

Link sighed happily into the kiss, thrusting his hips forward and making Rhett lay on the bed. Link got on all fours, still kissing him like his life was depending on it. ‘’I want you so bad,’’ Link murmured against Rhett’s lips as he sat down again, leaning back and looking down. 

Rhett loved seeing Link’s dilated pupils and his reddened, puffy lips, but most of all he loved how Link was grinding his hips against Rhett’s groin. ‘’Remember when I rode you like this? Our first time… It was so good… Can’t believe my luck,’’ Link said huskily, hands wandering on his own torso.

‘’How the fuck could I ever forget the best night of my existence,’’ Rhett muttered, sliding his hands across Link’s thighs, massaging them.

‘’I wanted to jump on you the moment I laid my eyes on you. You were so big and handsome in your suit I nearly fell on my face, remember that?’’ Link laughed breathily.

‘’Oh yeah, didn’t think I was the reason you tripped, though,’’ Rhett chuckled.

‘’I wish we could do this right now,’’ Link bounced a little on Rhett’s lap, putting meaning behind his words.

‘’You have no idea how much I want it too… Please, after everyone’s gone to bed, come to my room tonight, please..?’’ Rhett shifted onto his elbows, giving his best puppy dog eyes to Link.

Link seemed to think about it for a moment before grinning and nodding wildly, ‘’Okay, They already have one audiotape of us, what’s the harm in a second one?’’ Link giggled and leaned down to give one more kiss to Rhett before climbing off him. 

Rhett got up and went to the door, he needed to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He turned to look at Link and he mouthed the words; ‘ _ ’I’ll see you tonight,’’ _ so the possible cameramen and other people on the other side of the door wouldn’t hear him, and then he winked and backed out of the room.

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett was excited about the upcoming night, but he was also excited about the next group activity. Chris, the host of the show, guided them outside the lobby and told them to wait. 

‘’It’s not a helicopter this time,’’ Rhett said casually to Connor who was looking up at the sky.

Bailey was standing right next to Jeremy, arm to arm and Rhett wished he could be able to stand by Link like that without drama, but with Lucas being there it wasn’t an option. He didn’t need another fight.

Just when everyone started getting antsy, wondering how long they would need to wait, they heard something. 

‘’Look!’’ Bailey pointed to the left and everyone turned to look. A huge pack of Huskies were running towards them, making the snow fly around them. They were barking and coming toward them at an intimidating speed. It took a moment for the group to realize the dogs were pulling sleds with drivers behind them. Still, all of them stepped aside a little with a frightened look on their faces. If they didn’t know better it could’ve been a pack of wolves coming towards them, the sight was quite spectacular. 

Over two dozen dogs stopped nearby them along with their owners.

‘’Oh my gosh, they’re beautiful!’’ Bailey admired the dogs, putting his mitten covered hands either side of his face.

One of the sled drivers asked them all to come closer and he didn’t need to ask twice, everyone was already petting the Huskies, telling them how beautiful they looked.

‘’Hello,’’ Rhett said to one of the dogs who was enthusiastically sniffing his winter boot.

‘’As you can guess, today we're getting another view of the beautiful Alaskan wilderness and we're gonna go dog sledding!’’ Rhett spoke loudly so everyone could hear him over the dogs. It was adorable how Bailey and Link made a couple of excited jumps as they heard what Rhett said.

After a brief safety guide from the dog owners they were informed that they wouldn’t be driving individually, each sled could hold two passengers. Rhett kept smiling, no matter what he was happy he was to be able to experience this, even though he knew he would have to be paired with Lucas. If he pissed Jerry off twice the show would be over and he would have a lawsuit on his ass.

Without pondering it further he turned to Lucas, ‘’Would you like to share a sled with me?’’

‘ ’Oh course, honey!’’ Lucas chirped and hopped to Rhett’s side, clinging to his arm.

Rhett had a hard time looking at the others, especially Link. He felt like he had betrayed them all, but he didn’t have any other choice. He kept repeating that in his head. 

The driver of their sled pushed the elkskin cover of the sled aside for them to get in. It would keep their legs warm and most of the snow out their clothes. Rhett sat on the low seat in the back of the sled. He had barely gotten there when Lucas was already settling himself between Rhett’s legs,  _ accidentally _ sitting on his lap at first. Rhett swore he could  _ hear _ Link rolling his eyes somewhere near them. 

The driver helped the cover their legs and then they waited for everyone to get ready.

‘’Mmm, you feel so warm and cozy. I was a little afraid of this Husky sledding thing but I’m not anymore because I know you will keep me safe, you big bear,’’ Lucas pressed himself tightly against Rhett’s chest.

‘’I’m glad you feel safe,’’ was only thing Rhett could come up with instead of total silence as an answer.

Finally he dared to look around and it didn’t surprise him that Jeremy and Bailey shared a sled which led to Connor and Link sharing one… After Rhett realizing it he turned his head quickly, it hurt a little to see the two of them giggle as Link made himself comfortable in Connor’s arms.

‘’Okay! Let’s get ready to move! It’s gonna be quite a ride, so hold onto your hats!’’ The driver shouted and then whistled to the dogs to start pulling. 

Rhett was nervous for a moment since he felt the sled teetering until the dogs got a steady speed going. They weren’t going too fast yet but it was fast enough to make it exciting. He held Lucas tight only because he was scared he would fall off or they would fall over, but he knew Lucas would misunderstand it as affection.

It felt amazing to be pulled by seven strong dogs in the wild. The snow crunching underneath them, the crystal blue sky above them as blue as the Huskies’ eyes, but still Rhett’s mind was on Link and how tightly Connor must have been holding him. He could hear Link’s screams and yelps every now and then as they were following them. Rhett decided he would ride back with Link and then he could get the full experience with his lover in his arms, protecting him, living their fullest life together.

They stopped at a very small log cabin, letting the dogs have a little break and so Rhett and the contestants could have some coffee and snacks and have share their first thoughts about the trip through the valley. Rhett loved how Link held his steaming hot cup of coffee in his mitten covered hands, trying to warm up his fingers.

Rhett was surprised at how good a mood Lucas was in. He was talking with their driver about the dogs. He overheard Lucas telling the driver he had many dogs of his own, not Huskies though, not yet at least.

The ride back to the lodge was still exciting but this time Rhett was able to enjoy the scenery more since he didn’t constantly fear the sled falling over and Lucas was much calmer than before.

**~~~*~~~**

For the rest of the day he had to deal with Lucas hanging onto him constantly, which of course didn’t make Link happy. He was mostly talking with Bailey who couldn’t stop babbling about the Husky sledding. 

Throughout the evening he and Link shared a couple of meaningful glances, silently reminding each other about the promise they had made about meeting that night. That was the only thing that kept Rhett going. He was also happy that Lucas’ full attention was on him and not Link, even though he occasionally shot nasty glares in Link’s direction when everything was quiet.

It was already past midnight when everyone agreed to go to bed, but only after Rhett reminded them that they had other activities planned the next day and that everyone should get a good night’s sleep. Rhett felt like taking a shower after having Lucas touching him all over. Thankfully it was only through clothes, but he still felt a little dirty. Besides, he could still smell the dogs, his wool sweater had somehow absorbed the scent. He wanted to smell nice for Link who always smelled good, like something floral or fruity, something very Link-like. It was something he had not smelled on a man before. He liked it a lot. 

As he was showering he kept imagining Link’s big hands on himself, massaging him and grabbing him. Link might have been a lot smaller than him but he had big hands, almost as big as Rhett’s own They fit perfectly together.

He decided not to wear pajamas this time but only his boxer briefs, it would be less of a hassle to get those off. He wanted skin on skin contact with Link as soon as possible.

He laid on the bed and glanced at the clock, 1:30 A.M. maybe another half an hour and Link would be there. He switched the lights off and crossed his fingers above his upper belly, just waiting for Link and thinking of him.

Rhett was getting drowsy, he was halfway to dreamland when he heard the doorknob turn.  _ ‘’Finally!’’   _ Rhett thought and he pushed the duvet off himself, welcoming Link into his arms. He saw a glimpse of the hallway lights as the man slipped in and then quickly closed the door behind him. A couple more seconds and the bed tipped and he felt the warmness of his lover against him. He climbed on top of Rhett, straddling him as he had in the morning and Rhett felt like his brain was turning to mush from lust. Lips found lips in the darkness of the room and then something hit him.

He didn’t smell Link’s flowery scent…

He tasted different…

His body felt scrawnier, lighter…

But still he was grinding himself onto Rhett with passion.

Rhett flicked the lights on and his eyes got as wide as saucers. He wanted to scream but he was stunned by the sight of a half-naked Lucas on top of him.  Rhett grabbed his arm, getting ready to push him away when his worst nightmare came true. ‘’Wha-’’.

The doorknob turned again. The door opened.

Link with a cutest little smile on his face stood there. But the smile started to fade as everything came into Link’s view and Rhett felt his heart breaking.


	17. The Last Rose Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is everyone alright after the surprise from the night before? What will happen in the upcoming rose ceremony? The trip to Alaska is coming to an end, but not in the way Rhett expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! <3

Link stepped into the room and slammed the door shut before any curious pair of eyes saw them. ‘’You gotta be kidding me… Seriously? Again?!’’ Link shouted, he was clearly enraged by what he was witnessing.

Lucas didn’t seem to be bothered by Link’s shouting. ‘’Can’t you see we’re busy here? You can go back to Connor’s room, honey. I bet he’s free,’’ Lucas grinned at Link, still holding onto Rhett.

‘’You little-!’’Link stomped to the bed, ready to pull Lucas off, but Rhett was quick to act before Link could get to him.

‘’Link stop! And you, get off me.’’ Rhett pushed Lucas forcefully to the other side of the bed, out of Link’s reach. As much as he didn’t like Lucas, he didn’t want him and to get into a fist fight with Link.

But to Link it looked like Rhett was protecting Lucas. ‘‘Oh, I see! Is that why you asked me to come here, Rhett? So you could get revenge for the Connor thing? We didn’t do anything Rhett!’’ Link yelled right in Rhett’s face.

Rhett startled. ‘’No, no, Link, I don’t know what he’s doing here! I was expecting you. I thought it was you for a second. Link, I swear I didn’t plan this,’’ he held his hands up, wishing his lover would calm down.

‘’Hey, hey, hey, what about me? You invited me here. Your letter was very clear.’’ Lucas sat up, covering his naked torso with the duvet.

‘’What letter?’’ Rhett turned to look at him.

Lucas shifted a little, shrugging. ‘’I got a letter earlier today and it said I should pay a visit to your room after everyone else was asleep. It was signed by you,’’ Lucas’ voice was quiet and he sounded almost hurt, which was very unlike him.

Rhett had a million thoughts running in his head trying to figure out whether Lucas was telling the truth. Why would he make something like this up? Rhett looked into Lucas’ big brown eyes and he saw how uncomfortable he was. ‘’Lucas, I didn’t send that… I... ‘’ He spoke softly. He saw tears gathering in the corners of Lucas’ eyes.

That’s ridiculous. He’s making it all up, Rhett,’’ Link threw his hands into the air out of frustration.

Everything clicked in Rhett’s head. He knew who was responsible for the letter and he hated how one man could play with all of their feelings like that.

Rhett ignored Link pacing around, he would understand what was going on soon if his intuition was right. ‘’Lucas, how did you get invited back to the show? Can you tell?’’ Rhett asked.

Lucas looked at Rhett like he had just asked the weirdest thing ever. ‘’Wha-? I got a call… from the producer. He said that you regretted sending me home and you wanted me to come back. To see… to see if your feelings were valid after all,’’ Lucas spoke quietly, every once in a while glancing in Link’s direction.

Rhett had been right. ‘’Fucking Jerry…’’ Rhett mumbled under his breath. He got out of bed and grabbed the robe from the chair to put it on.

‘’Why are you asking? Isn’t that what happened?’’ Lucas asked, still sitting on the bed.

Rhett scratched his head. He hated the situation. He was cleaning up after Jerry again and it felt absolutely horrible. He needed to tell Lucas he wasn’t interested in him. ‘’Lucas… I’m sorry but. I never made such a request.’’

‘’Yeah, nobody wanted you back,’’ Link snorted.

Rhett gave him the eye to shut up.

‘’Well, I was invited here so someone wanted me back, genius,’’ Lucas said to Link.

‘’Whatever,’’ Link muttered and after Rhett glared at him the second time he finally sat down on the chair near him.

Rhett spotted Lucas’ shirt on the floor and he picked it up. He went back to the bed and sat down, handing the shirt to Lucas. ‘’I’m really sorry you were brought back for nothing… Jerry wanted you here because he and I… well… we had a little misunderstanding about the rules and I guess he used you to get back at me…’’ Rhett tried to keep his voice neutral.

‘’Oh,’’ Lucas said. His breathing was shaky and he bit his lower lip, but he couldn’t keep the tears from falling.

‘’Hey now…’’ Rhett put his hand on Lucas’ shoulder. Rhett felt absolutely awful, but he didn’t know what else to do. He looked at Link whose expression had changed as well. He didn’t seem angry or annoyed anymore, but almost empathic.

‘’Well this is fucking embarrassing,’’ Lucas said then and flashed a quick smile at Rhett. He put his shirt back on and dejectedly climbed out of the bed.

‘’I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve this,’’ Rhett said again.

‘’Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault, and I probably did deserve it, but don’t tell him that,’’ Lucas whispered and nodded quickly towards Link.

‘’I’ll see you at the rose ceremony tomorrow. Even after all this I have some dignity left. I won’t just disappear into the night. I deserve proper goodbyes this time,’’ Lucas wiped the tears from his eyes. He seemed to pull himself together and Rhett hoped he was alright.

‘’Yeah, that’s true,’’ Rhett smiled and walked him to the door.

‘’Goodbye!’’ Link yelled after him.

‘’I still hate you!’’ Lucas yelled back before Rhett was able to close the door.

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett wished Link would have stayed the night with him, but after Lucas had left Link gave Rhett a quick kiss goodnight and went to his own room, saying it would be better that way. Rhett understood, he hadn’t exactly been in the mood anymore after the stunt Jerry had pulled. Although he would have loved to sleep next to Link, just to feel him close.

The following day went smoothly. Everyone else went skiing except Rhett and Bailey. They stayed close to the lodge, building a snow castle and snowmen, naming them after the other contestants. Bailey was an easy person to spend time with and Rhett genuinely enjoyed his company.

After getting enough of the outdoors Rhett tried to find Jerry somewhere. He needed to have a word with him but he never caught him. Everyone was staying in their rooms so Rhett decided do the same. It was their last day in Alaska, the next morning they would fly back to L.A. separately. Those with a rose would be with him and those without would fly back on their own. He was feeling wistful knowing everything would be over in just a few days, but most of all he was happy this journey would be over. He had found Link and he had found friends, the two things missing from his life. Of course he had his friend Kyle back home and he couldn’t wait to tell him everything that had happened. Most of all he couldn’t wait for him to meet Link. Kyle and his wife would be so happy for him, those two had always been there for him no matter what.

Rhett started to get ready for the evening. He opened the closet and pulled out his navy colored suit, a white button up, tan shoes, a purple tie, and purple socks. He wouldn’t usually pair such colorful socks with his suit, but Link was always wearing colorful or patterned socks with his suits and Rhett liked the look. Formal with a twist, perfect. He placed his clothes on the bed and the shoes on the floor next to it. He undressed from his day clothes and went to take a hot shower. He chuckled at the memory of him thinking Link had a weird taste in clothes, especially suits, and just a few weeks later he found himself wanting to adopt the style.

He spent at least half an hour getting his wavy hair to sit up just right after getting dressed, but he was pleased. Normally he kept his hair more straight, but he liked it wild and free. The morning he had given Link the beaded anklet he noticed how Link had looked at his wild, messy bed hair and had told him he liked it very much.

One of the crew members knocked on the door. It was time to go; the rose ceremony had started and everyone was waiting for him.

He took the elevator down. The production team had changed the main lobby to better fit better a cocktail party. The large furniture was pushed to the side and there was a small bar counter near the front door. The remaining contestants were standing in front of the biggest fireplace. Rhett nodded at them. He took a quick sip of the champagne he was offered before taking his place next to a silver platter with three red roses on it.

The five contestants stood in front of Rhett, all suited up, as handsome as ever. Rhett could go back to the first rose ceremony in his mind and feel how exciting and new it had been. So many possibilities were ahead and now he was standing there, knowing what he wanted. He had found the person who had been missing his whole life. Now he was here, smiling at him and eagerly waiting to build a life together with him.

His thoughts were interrupted when Lucas took a step forward, straightening his tie. Everyone turned to look at him. Rhett was afraid of what he might say.

‘’Rhett, I want you to know I care about you, but as I see your heart has made its choice, I’m going to leave while mine is still whole. I’m going home, Rhett. I wish you the best in life,’’ Lucas spoke quietly, tears forming in his eyes.

Rhett felt for him, but was also quite relieved Lucas didn’t make a scene. He had handled the situation well.

Rhett remained still. ‘’I understand. I wish you the very best too, Lucas,’’ he smiled.

‘’Can I have one last hug?’’ Lucas asked and Rhett granted his wish, giving him a long hug and a pat on the back.

A couple of crew members kept the front doors open for him as he left to the car waiting for him outside.

Rhett picked up the first rose. His first choice was the easiest. He called out Link’s name. ‘’Will you accept this rose?’’ Rhett offered the flower to Link who took it with a cute, crooked smile on his face. ‘’Always,’’ Link whispered and went back to his place.

Rhett picked up the next rose. He called Bailey’s name and asked if he would take the rose. Bailey’s reaction wasn’t as subtle as Link’s had been and he did a couple of silly dance moves as he accepted his rose. Rhett liked how Bailey gently nudged Link with his elbow when he got back in his place, both of them smiling to each other.

The last rose had been the hardest one. Connor or Jeremy. He had thought about it all day. He knew most of the others would expect him to choose Connor since he hadn’t spent much time with Jeremy. He picked up the last rose and brought it to his nose to enjoy its beautiful scent. He rolled it between his fingers, letting the suspense build in silence. Sometimes hard decisions had to be made and he was ready to move on. Everyone was surprised when he called out Jeremy’s name instead of Connor’s.

Jeremy gave him a weird look when he went to accept the rose but Rhett just smiled. He liked Connor, but him enjoying Link’s company and knowing about their history made him a little nervous. He had to admit to himself he was afraid Connor was still interested in Link.

Connor didn’t look sad being left without a rose, he kind of looked like he knew it was coming. He gave the other contestants long warm hugs and asked if he could give Rhett a hug too. Rhett accepted. Connor hugged him just as tightly he had hugged the others. Rhett hugged him back, he knew it would most likely be the last time he would ever see him so there was no need to hold grudges against him anymore.

‘’Goodbye for now. Thank you for this once in a lifetime experience. You’re a great man, Rhett.’’ Connor said, nodding like he was ensuring everything was alright.

‘’So are you. I wish you the best,’’ Rhett spoke quietly, he was surprised how emotional he got. The thought crossed Rhett’s mind that in another time and place, there could have been more between them.

Rhett watched the man go and he saw everyone else turning to look as well. Bailey quickly wiped the corner of his eye. Rhett knew the two of them had been quite close but most of all Rhett noticed how Link’s gaze stayed on Connor’s back until the front doors closed again.

After Connor left there were just the four of them. Bailey was already ordering drinks for everybody so they could have fun during their last cocktail party. The vibe was more intimate from the first one, there had been so many people then, so many new faces to meet and party with all night. Now they were just a small group, already knowing everything about each other. Rhett liked it better that way.

It took a couple of drinks for him to notice Link was unusually quiet. He was still holding the rose and his cocktail was nearly untouched on the bar counter.

‘’Something wrong?’’ Rhett asked, concerned.

‘’No, it’s just… this is it, man. Tomorrow we’re all going home. I guess I’ll kinda miss the mess this has been,’’ Link laughed dryly.

‘’Well, it’ll just be for a couple of days and then it’s the grande finale back in the mansion,’’ Rhett soothed him.

‘’Yeah, yeah… Uhmm… Can we just call it a night and go upstairs?’’ Link’s eyebrows rose hopefully.

''You wanna go to sleep already?'' Rhett was a little disappointed. The night was just starting.

‘’Hey folks! We’re gonna go check that hot tub out for the last time, you guys joining us?’’ Bailey shouted from the other end of the room. He and Jeremy were already walking towards the back door.

‘’Heck yeah!’’ Rhett shouted back, sliding off the barstool.

Midway there he noticed Link wasn’t following him. He turned around to look and saw Link downing his drink. ‘’Aren’t you coming?’’

‘’No, I just wanna… get out of this suit and get _cozy_ … you know?’’ Link fidgeted with the rose.

‘’Alright… well, if you change your mind… we’re here,’’ Rhett said, following Jeremy and Bailey outside.

The three of them poured themselves more drinks and stripped out of their suits, leaving just their underwear on. Rhett felt the buzz of the drinks and was having a good time listening to Bailey’s silly stories. About an hour later, when they all were moving from tipsy to drunk, Bailey became silent and asked, ‘’Has something happened between you and Link?’’

‘’Uh… What do you mean?’’Rhett didn’t quite understand Bailey’s question.

‘’Why you didn’t go upstairs with him?’’ Bailey looked at him from under his brow.

‘’Huh? He wanted to go sleep and this is our last night here. I didn’t feel like sleeping yet.’’ Rhett was confused.

‘’Ain’t sleep he wanted,’’ Jeremy joined the conversation, chuckling.

Rhett thought about it for a moment. He began to realize what the two of them meant. Link hadn’t exactly talked about sleeping.... _‘’Oh.’’_

‘’You adorable, stupid man,’’ Bailey giggled.

_Oh gosh_! Rhett mentally slapped himself. Now that Lucas was gone and it was just Jeremy and Bailey, no one would come interrupt them. The crew had already gone and there were just hallway cameras and mics, but otherwise they were alone in the lodge.

‘’Do you mind if I head upstairs now? I think I’ve had had enough drinks for one night,’’ Rhett was already getting out of the hot tub.

‘’Nope, just go,’’ Bailey grinned.

Rhett grabbed himself a towel from the small cabinet beside the hot tub and wrapped it around himself. He collected his suit from the bench and walked quickly to the elevator. He wondered if Link was already sleeping in his room. He decided to go knock on his door first.

He left wet footprints on the carpeted hallway as he hurried to Link’s door. He knocked a couple of times. There was no answer. ‘’Link? You there?’’ He knocked again. There was no light coming from under the door, if Link was there he was sound asleep. Rhett cursed himself in his mind. Link had planned to spend the night with him and he just kept partying, he had to mentally slap himself for disappointing Link again.

He took the elevator to his own room. Slowly he opened the door and saw the fire had been lit in the fireplace. A half empty glass of red wine was sitting on the coffee table beside a red rose and Link’s suit jacket was placed over the back of the couch.

‘’Took you long enough.’’

Rhett turned and saw Link leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom. He still had his white button up and red suit pants on, but the first four buttons were unbuttoned of his shirt, giving Rhett a nice view of his chest.

‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t realize,’’ Rhett stuttered, throwing the clothes he was carrying on the nearest chair.

‘’I noticed,’’ Link said, there was no readable expression on Link’s face. He walked straight to Rhett, standing right in front of him, looking him in the eyes.

‘’If I’d known-’’ Rhett started, but was silenced by Link putting his finger to Rhett’s lips.

‘’Enough talking,’’ Link whispered, his eyes gleaming in the light of the fireplace.

Link replaced his finger with his lips, his hands grabbing Rhett by the back of his neck, bringing him down so he didn’t have to stand on his tiptoes.

Rhett grabbed Link by his waist and started pulling his shirt out of his pants, making Link giggle breathily into the kiss.

‘’I’m such an idiot for making you wait,’’ Rhett murmured.

‘’Well, don’t make me wait any longer,’’ Link said and pulled Rhett’s towel off, letting it drop to the floor. He grabbed the waistband of Rhett’s wet boxers and started walking backwards, guiding them to the bed. Rhett let him do whatever he wanted, he was willingly taking everything Link was offering him.

Link turned both of them around leaving Rhett standing next to the bed, the back of his knees almost touching the edge. Link still had his hold on the band of Rhett’s underwear and he started pulling them off. He grinned wickedly at Rhett when he moved his body down along with the boxer shorts.

Rhett held his breath as he watched Link. His face was just a few of inches away from his exposed crotch but he was still keeping eye contact. As the boxers fell around Rhett’s ankles Link rose up, close to Rhett’s mouth again, but instead of giving him a kiss Link pushed Rhett onto the bed.

Rhett felt hot all over. He was completely naked in front of Link who was basically fully clothed. His dark gaze traveled all over Rhett’s body. Rhett inched his hand from his thigh towards his growing erection but stopped short when Link narrowed his eyes. Rhett moved his hand away and lifted his legs on the bed and moved back a little, making room for Link.

Link took a couple of steps back and for a second Rhett thought he was leaving, but when Link started fidgeting with the rest of the buttons of his shirt he was relieved.

Link undressed himself slowly while Rhett watched. He unbuttoned his shirt carefully and slid it off his shoulders, but instead of letting it fall he quickly folded the shirt and put it on the chair. He took his shoes off and undid the button of his pants. Rhett smiled seeing the beginning of Link’s happy trail, he wanted to trace it down with his tongue. Link wiggled his hips out of his pants and put them away with the shirt. He turned his back to Rhett and slid his yellow boxers off his butt.

  
Rhett bit his lower lip as he watched Link, his eyes mostly fixed on the petit ass of his lover.

  
Link turned around and walked to the bed. Rhett saw Link was just as excited as he was. His nice, long cock stood proudly in the air. Rhett patted the bed playfully, inviting Link to join him. He sat on the bed and quickly took his socks off before rolling next to Rhett’s naked body. Rhett wrapped his arm around Link who shifted closer and immediately locked his lips with Rhett’s. Rhett felt like they could make out forever like that, their tongues slid so wonderfully together while their naked bodies rubbed against each other.

  
Link’s hand slid down Rhett’s belly, to his abdomen and through the soft curly hair there. He wrapped his fingers around Rhett’s aroused dick and started slowly pumping up and down with long, teasing strokes. Rhett groaned and Link chuckled into the kiss.

  
Link’s touches were delicate, but enough to get Rhett fully hard. He let out a soft moan when Link’s thumb massaged the head, smearing precome all over it.

  
Link stopped kissing and looked Rhett in the eyes and in the most sincere way he whispered: ‘’I’m good with my mouth too.’’

  
Rhett swallowed hard, of course he had dreamed about having Link’s mouth on him,  but he didn’t have the courage to ask for it in such an early stage of their relationship. ‘’Oh?’’ Rhett grinned.

  
‘’Mmhhmm,’’ Link smiled back. Rhett gently removed Link’s eyeglasses, he desired to see those sparkly eyes up close. Link leaned in for another kiss while he reached for the little foil packet on the nightstand which he had apparently put there before Rhett came back. Rhett put Link’s glasses carefully on the nightstand. Link moved down, quickly opening the wrapper and putting on the condom on Rhett. Rhett was impressed at how effortlessly Link did it.

Rhett shivered at the feeling of Link’s hot breath on his crotch. He threw his head back into the pillow when Link’s soft, wet mouth enveloped him, his slick tongue pressing against his slit and sliding down along the underside. Rhett had to really concentrate on not coming when Link swallowed his cock deeper, nose sinking into his pubic hair. ‘’ _Fuck_ ,’’ he moaned. Link had not definitely lied about being good at this.

Rhett sat up onto his elbows and dared to look down. His cock was shiny from saliva as Link’s soft, full lips caressed it up and down. Rhett put his hand in Link’s messy hair, feeling how good he bobbed his head on his cock.

  
‘’Fuck, Link... you’re beautiful,’’ Rhett admired the pink lips and those hauntingly beautiful blue eyes staring back at him underneath the few fallen stands of black hair. ‘’But if you keep this up, tonight’s gonna end soon.’’   
  
Link released Rhett’s cock from his mouth with a loud, wet pop. He licked his lips like a cat who had just gotten his cream. His voice was hoarse when he said; ‘’We wouldn’t want that.’’ Link straddled Rhett’s thighs and leaned forward, once again locking his lips with Rhett. Link tasted different, sweeter than usual. The condom probably had some weird artificial fruit flavor Rhett was unable to identify.

‘’Tell me what you want, I’m not bad with my mouth either,’’ Rhett murmured.

‘’Yeah I bet you aren’t… that long tongue of yours could work wonders, but now… I just need...‘’ Link moved a little, sliding Rhett’s slick cock along his crack. ‘’I need to feel you inside me.’’

Link rolled off Rhett and laid down onto his back. Rhett immediately grabbed the lube from the nightstand and got onto his knees, ready to help Link with his wish.

‘’Give me that,’’ Link reached for the lube.

Rhett decided not to ask questions. He just followed the way Link squirted some of the lube onto his fingers and spread his legs wide. Rhett wouldn’t pass up the opportunity watch, he moved to the end of the bed and sat between Link’s legs, putting his hands on Link’s calves. The sight was magnificent.

  
Link pushed two fingers into himself and Rhett thanked everything for this wonderful gift of being able to witness Link pleasuring himself.

Link’s eyes were shut tightly, but he didn’t hold back his moans. His lips were parted, letting out chains of shuddering moans. Rhett was mesmerized, he studied every thrust and crook of Link’s fingers as he opened himself up for Rhett. Which moves made Link moan louder and which made his cock twitch against his belly. Rhett was tempted to lean down and take Link’s cock in his mouth, he wanted to have the taste of Link’s precome but he couldn’t do that just yet. The no-condoms phase could come later.

Link pulled his fingers out with a lewd wet noise. ‘’Now Rhett… Give it to me,’’ Link breathed hard. Interestingly, Link had used only two fingers. Rhett knew it would be a tight fit; he guessed Link liked it a little rough, he had made some jokes about it before but now Rhett would take them seriously.

He moved closer, pushing Link’s legs further apart. Link grabbed Rhett’s biceps as he lined up his cock with Link’s awaiting entrance. ‘’Ready?’’ he asked and Link nodded, his nails already digging onto Rhett’s skin.

‘’ _Oh, baby… oh fuck… you’re so tight_ ,’’ Rhett pushed the tip of his cock in and stopped for a  moment, letting himself and Link adjust.

_‘’Mmmmhhh… yeah… so good… so thick…’’_ Link licked his lips, circling his hips ever so slightly.

Rhett watched Link’s eyelids flutter when he pushed his cock deeper into him. Rhett didn’t have any sensible thoughts left. He gyrated his hips and thrusted in shallowly just to see which brought Link the most pleasure.

Link grabbed him by the neck again and brought him down in a harsh, needy kiss. ’’Give it to me already,’’ he hissed when he let go of Rhett’s neck and grabbing the wooden headboard instead.

‘’Want me to fuck you, huh? Like this?’’  Rhett moved slow but buried himself deep hard every time, making Link’s body jerk forward. Link wrapped his legs around Rhett, his mouth hanging open, letting out breathy moans every time Rhett slammed in.

The whole time they kept eye contact and Rhett felt like they were connecting on an even deeper level. He gradually sped up, not caring how obscene the sound of their bodies slapping against each other were. Link was warm and tight and moaning under him, staring into his soul. He grabbed the headboard to have leverage to fuck Link as hard as he could. The harder and rougher he got, the louder Link moaned.

Rhett reached his other hand between their sweaty bodies and wrapped his fingers around Link’s hard cock and after only a couple of tugs he felt it twitch and jerk in his hand and Link’s whole body trembling underneath him. Rhett let himself go; he buried himself in for the last time and filled the rubber inside Link with hot gushes of come.

_‘’I love you,’’_ he blurted out and collapsed beside Link, wrapping his arms around him again.

**~~~*~~~**

Rhett woke up with the biggest grin spread across his face. Every night with Link had been like a dream come true but the last one had been the best yet. Passionate lovemaking like nothing in the world could stop them. Link had been so beautiful with his messy hair, glazed eyes and gorgeous sweaty body, all tangled in the sheets.

With thoughts of the night before still in his head, Rhett opened his eyes and turned onto his side, expecting to see Link. It took a moment for him to realize Link wasn’t there. Only the wrinkled sheets and a faint scent of him still lingered in the room.

Rhett rubbed his sleepy eyes with the back of his hand and glanced toward the bathroom. The door was wide open and no one was inside. He noticed Link’s meticulously folded clothes on the chair were gone too.

He wondered why would Link leave, no one was stopping them from being together. They could have easily lay in bed until noon because they wouldn’t be heading back to L.A. until the evening and there weren’t any other activities planned for the day.

Suddenly he remembered something from last night. He had said it in the heat of the moment. Not in the way he had pictured saying the words to Link. _‘’I love you.’’_ Suddenly Rhett felt cold on the inside.

_‘’You idiot, he got scared,’’_ Rhett whispered to himself. _Nobody says that after a few weeks, what were you thinking? Well, that’s it, I wasn’t thinking._ He debated inside.

_Maybe he just went to get breakfast? Maybe he won’t even remember?_ Rhett took his pajama pants from the floor and slid into them as he rose from the bed. He wanted to bang his head on the wall a few times as punishment for being so stupid and thoughtless.

As he headed to the bathroom, something bright red by the front door caught his eye. He looked at it. _A rose with a white piece of paper underneath it_. His hands were shaking when he picked up the rose and saw the paper was a handwritten note.

_Rhett,_   
_I’m sorry I had to leave this way._   
_But I’ll just make it easier for both of us._   
_I’d never want to hurt you so I’m going before I do._   
_You’ll understand someday._   
_Wishing you the best._   
_-Link_

That was all there was beside the last rose he had given to Link. Rhett read the note over and over again. It made no sense. Why hadn’t he explained why he left? Though Rhett thought he had a pretty good idea why. It all had been too much, no one would fall in love so fast, especially not at their age. They were supposed to be more thoughtful, not just jump head first into a relationship. He understood Link, it had been overwhelming to Rhett too to feel so strongly about a person he had basically just met, but still he couldn’t help it. The rose and the note dropped from his hand. He leaned his forehead on the door, tears already falling. He wanted nothing more than for Link to come back.


	18. All The Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhett doesn’t know what to do or where to go. He tries his best to find Link but nothing seems to work. Will Link ever come back to him?

_ Rhett dreamed of Link laying on a bed of rose petals. He traced his nude form with a single red rose, smiling mischievously as he often did. He followed Rhett with his eyes, silently inviting Rhett to join him, but when Rhett tried to reach for him, Link vanished into thin air and there was just darkness. The note fell on the floor, in front of Rhett’s feet, the words Link had written were shining, reminding him Link was gone. _

Rhett woke up sweating and frustrated. Three nights in a row he’d had the same dream. The sinking feeling in his stomach lasted the entire day and all he could think of was that letter and Link. He would have to get hold of him somehow. He needed more explanation than the letter had given him.

The crew had tried to reach Link, at least that’s what Jerry had told him. Rhett didn’t trust his word but he had no other choice. But Jerry had looked sincerely very confused the day after Link had left. He’d knocked on Rhett’s door to ask him to come downstairs to film a few diary segments for the show and casually said Link would be the next to film his. Rhett had told him the news then.

Jerry tried to find him immediately, he asked everyone but no one had seen or spoken to Link since the night before or early that morning. No one knew anything until they got a hold of their driver. He had confirmed he had taken Link to the airport and he had gotten on the same flight as Connor and Lucas.

That was everything Rhett knew. He had a hunch Link leaving might have had something to do with Connor. He still hadn’t gotten over seeing  Connor’s hands on Link’s waist that one evening, but Rhett knew there was a fair chance it was just his jealousy speaking and Link had a valid reason to leave him. Like Rhett confessing his love too soon and scaring Link away. Again Rhett cursed to himself for letting the words slip like that.

The days after coming back from Alaska had been torture. Bailey and Jeremy stayed at the mansion with him for a couple of days as they tried to get to back to filming, but even everyone on the crew knew nothing was working anymore since Rhett couldn’t pick either of the two contestants left. Their dates were awkward and the filming material unusable since no one really talked much as they ate their food.

Later in the week the script called for Rhett to meet both of their parents, but even Jerry agreed it would be inappropriate to introduce Rhett to the two men’s families when he’d had nothing more than a friendly relationship with them.

By the end of the week back at the mansion the producers, Rhett and everyone involved had even talked about stopping the filming entirely and for a while they did. They needed to figure out if it was worth airing the season at all.

Those couple of days had been awfully quiet. All the cameras had stopped and  Bailey and Jeremy had gone home and so had Rhett by the suggestion of the production company until they knew how to continue with the show.

It was just Rhett in his big house in the Hollywood hills. All alone again like nothing had changed, except now he had memories of lost love which made the situation even worse. Rhett did nothing but sit on the balcony, a whole bottle of whiskey in his hand. When it was empty, he fell asleep only dream of Link’s beautiful smile and holding him in his arms again until the morning tore them apart.

**~~~*~~~**

A week and a half after Alaska the decision was made. Filming would continue but with a full script. Each of them would have lines to learn. Rhett reluctantly agreed to do it, he didn’t care much anymore. He reminded himself that in the beginning of the show he had kept his hopes down and he had done everything for entertainment value and to meet hot guys with just a tiny wish he would find someone special, but he told himself he wouldn’t be sad if he didn’t.

_ How far from that state of mind he had come… _ He shook his head… He was in the entertainment business himself, he should have known better to not mix personal life with work. He had experience and he had heard enough stories to know better. But still he was there, used.

He was told it would only take three days to film the rest of the show. Rhett wanted to see Bailey again, and Jeremy too. He wanted to apologize about this mess and he hoped they wouldn’t hate him for dragging them back into this fiasco.

He started to pack necessary clothes for the weekend in the mansion. He wouldn’t need much since many of his suits were still there and he would be mostly wearing those for the scripted romantic scenes. When he was done he grabbed the bottle of whiskey again. He didn’t care that he had to wake up early.

The sun was setting when he woke up to his phone ringing. He must have fallen asleep on the recliner with the TV on. The sad bottle of whiskey sat on the coffee table, only one or two swigs left. His back was stiff from the bad position and he had to stretch before he could search for his phone.

It had been ringing for a long time before he finally found it on the kitchen counter. He looked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number; he assumed it was probably something about the show. He only had Jerry’s number saved.

‘’Hello?’’ He picked up.

There were a couple of long seconds of silence which made Rhett frown.

‘’Hello?’’ He asked again.

_ ‘’Hi, uh… is this Rhett?’’  _ Came the voice from the other.

Rhett felt his heart jump in his throat and suddenly he wasn’t drowsy at all anymore.

‘’Link?’’ He barely got the name out of his throat. He felt like he was dreaming again.

_ ‘’Took you long enough… I almost hung up…’’ _ Link spoke quietly.

‘’I’m sorry. There’s been a lot going on since… since you left,’’ Rhett started to feel a little angry. Now that Link was there he wanted to yell, demand to know what the hell was going on and why he had played with him like that. He wanted to pour out every detail of how badly his heart was broken.

But he did none of that. His anger was mild compared to the comfort he felt being able to hear Link’s voice again.

_ ‘’Rhett… You would have convinced me to stay if I had told you… and it would’ve been bad, I needed to leave… Connor…’’ _ Link paused.

Rhett’s heart skipped a beat hearing Link say that name.

_ ‘’Connor is in the hospital, Rhett.’’ _ Link’s voice was quivering.

Rhett didn’t know what to say. He just stared into the nothingness, keeping the phone to his ear, hearing Link starting to sob.

_ ‘’He might not make it,’’ _ Link continued, sniffling and sobbing again.

Rhett sat down on the kitchen chair. Everything Link was saying was confusing.

‘’What? Link please, what’s going on? I don’t understand what’s happening.’’ He tried to keep calm to make sense out of the situation as best he could.

_ ‘’It doesn’t surprise me Jerry didn’t tell you this. When Connor told me Jerry made me promise I wouldn’t say anything to you... and it wasn’t really my business anyway… Connor didn’t want to tell anyone but then things got worse,’’ _ Link took a deep breath.

_ ‘’I found out in Hawaii when I shared a room with him. He was exhausted by the end of the day, even when it had been just laying by the pool all day. The all day activities had left him even worse. He was shivering and sweating no matter how high I cranked up the air conditioner,’’ _ Link let out a shuddering sigh.

_ ‘’I didn’t think much of it then because… I was distracted by you, but then he told me. The night in Anchorage when I was in his room, he finally told me,’’ _ Link paused again.

Rhett was still speechless on the other end of the line. Somehow everything made sense but didn’t.

_ ‘’Connor has cancer, Rhett… There’s a small tumor in his brain and it’s bad this time,’’  _ Link sniffled again.

Rhett was shocked, he cursed every bad thought he had ever had about Connor. He felt stupid and he felt for Link.

‘’This time?’’ He asked warily.

_ ‘’Yeah, it came back… When we were together he became sick for the first time but I didn’t know about it. We had some issues and our relationship was kinda at the end of the line, but I wasn’t ready to admit it then. He decided not to tell me because he knew I wouldn’t have let him suffer alone and I would’ve stayed by his side no matter what so he left me because he didn’t want to hurt me.’’  _ Link’s voice was wobbling as he spoke, he had to take a few deep breaths every now and then before continuing.

_ ‘’All the time he was hurting and I thought he had left me because maybe he had someone else…’’   _

_ ‘’So much time had passed he assumed I had moved on already and didn’t try to get back in my life. He was just living his life after the illness. He wanted to have fun and try new things and find love. I guess the show offered all of those things so he applied,’’ _

_ ‘’I found out about his application through an old friend of ours. He was more of Connor’s friend than mine but we happened to meet randomly and we chatted for a while. He asked if I was seeing anybody and I said no. Then he told me Connor was a bachelor too and he had applied for the show since he wasn’t sick anymore,’’ _

_ ‘’I learned all those things and then somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that maybe our relationship had been great and he still loved me, he just wanted to spare me from having to take care of him. I was lonely. I wanted him back, but it was too late. The contestants had already been chosen and Connor and the others were already in a hotel somewhere waiting for filming to start,’’ _

_ ‘’I had an old connection to the production company and I demanded to speak with Connor. So then the next thing was me speaking to Jerry. He wanted to know what was so urgent and I told him everything. Then he had the idea of me being one of the contestants too. Of course I needed to keep it a secret how I got into the show but I got to meet Connor and that was all that mattered at the moment,’’ _

_ ‘’He really was surprised to see me and we chatted quite a while but then he got real quiet and told me… There was another tumor,’’ _

_ ‘’He didn’t think he would make it that far in the competition and he wasn’t in pain so he decided to stay, but I know he was scared. The show was his way to ignore a serious problem.’’ _

_ ‘’He hid it until he couldn’t anymore, I tried to make him leave but he wouldn’t… then he said he would go if I took him to the hospital. Then we made the plan, we knew you wouldn’t pick Connor after you’d seen him touch me,’’  _ Link explained.

Rhett shook his head. The information for his drowsy brain was too much but a lot more things made sense now.

‘’Why you?’’ Rhett knew he was being selfish asking that question and he feared he already knew the answer.  _ Connor still loved Link. _

_ ‘’I’m the only one he has left. The only one he can trust. His whole family left him when they found out he was gay…’’ _ Link paused to sigh deeply but continued before Rhett said anything: _ ‘’Rhett I don’t want to leave him… He needs me... I- I didn’t know what to think. I’m sorry Rhett but I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’m so sorry… So sorry…’’ _ Link was openly crying.

Rhett couldn’t hold back his tears either hearing Link so upset and knowing he was losing him.

_ ‘’Then you said you loved me and I knew I had fucked up because… I- I love you too but I can’t… Rhett, I’m sorry, Connor and I should have sorted this out before we met you,’’ _ Link sniffled.

‘’Link please…’’ Rhett didn’t know if he was begging Link to stop crying or if he was begging him to love him and come back to him.

_ ‘’I can’t leave him like this,’’ _ Link whispered.

_ ‘’Maybe someday things will be different and we can be at least friends… But… Goodbye for now, Rhett. Goodbye,’’  _ Link said his last word and hung up, not giving Rhett a chance to respond. Perhaps it was because of what Link had said earlier, Rhett could have convinced him to stay when Link knew he couldn’t.

Rhett put the phone on the table. The tears streaming down his face had dried. He couldn’t be mad, he couldn’t cry, he just felt empty inside.

It was true, Link wasn’t going to come back. He needed to stay by Connor’s side. He needed Link more. Link wasn’t there to support Connor the first time and this might be his last chance. Link wouldn’t let him be alone in his pain.

Rhett felt bad for Connor, he didn’t know how much in pain he had been in, but he guessed it was a lot. He wondered how he had not noticed he wasn’t feeling well. Even on their date Connor had seemed normal. Rhett always assumed Connor was a calm and quiet person but he never saw he was sick. The only thing he had noticed was as the competition went on Connor didn’t flirt with him as much as he had in the beginning. Rhett thought maybe it was because he had made it obvious that he was in love with Link and the others basically had no chance anymore. Otherwise Connor was perfect at hiding his illness.

Again he cursed Jerry in his mind, he shouldn’t have let Connor stay in the competition for so long since he knew about his condition. Rhett was convinced Jerry was a heartless bastard who didn’t care about anyone ever.

Rhett wished he knew which hospital Connor was in so he could at least send flowers, visiting might still be too much. He didn’t know what would be off limits, he had never been in a situation like this but as bad as he felt for Connor, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Link had said to him.

Link loved Rhett back.

But still they couldn’t be together. Tragedy.

Rhett felt like the whole universe was against them. He was like a completely new person when he was with Link, much happier and more content, like Link was his other half which had been missing his whole life. But the universe had decided he didn’t deserve to be whole.

**~~~*~~~**

The only thing Rhett liked about going back to the mansion was getting to see Bailey again. Rhett was truly happy Bailey wasn’t angry or disappointed with how the show had turned out. He had assured Rhett none of it was his fault and he shouldn’t worry about him. Jeremy seemed grumpy about having to come back but it could have been just him being himself. Rhett found Jeremy tough to read.

Rhett knew he shouldn’t, but he asked if Bailey had heard anything from Link.

‘’He called me, yes. He told me about Connor and he said he had called to you too. It’s horrible. I didn’t see any signs of Connor being sick either. He hid it well I guess. I’m gonna go see him next week, I can say hello from you too if you want,’’ It was odd to see Bailey so serious, the normally smiley man looked like a whole different person when he was worried. He truly cared about Connor and Link too.

‘’Do you know which hospital he is staying at?’’ Rhett asked.

‘’It’s probably not a good idea for you to go there, Rhett… You should know that. Link will probably be there and…’’

‘’I know, I know,’’ Rhett interrupted him.

‘’Do you know anything about Connor’s condition? Is he gonna make it?’’ Rhett continued.

‘’No one knows. He has bad moments daily and he is scheduled for surgery next week. Last time it was a success but they said the tumor is a little deeper this time, harder to get to, so there are risks...’’ Bailey said, remembering what Link had told him.

‘’Okay… If Link doesn’t… Could you, could you keep me posted?’’ Rhett asked hopefully.

‘’Of course, Rhett. You’re my friend too,’’ Bailey smiled.

Bailey calling Rhett his friend made him feel a little happier inside.

The next few days went by smoothly, Rhett put his best fake smile on for the cameras as they filmed a couple of more dates for the final episode.

The days would have been torture if Bailey hadn’t been there, it was only because of him that filming the final scripted episode was tolerable.

The last day of filming came and Rhett dressed in his best black suit, white button up and a red tie. Bailey and Jeremy both knew Rhett would be rejecting them. Jerry had even planned tears for Bailey. Rhett felt awful, of course it wasn’t his fault and they all had agreed to the changes, but nothing about filming these fake segments was fun. Even with all the power Jerry had, he couldn’t pick a mate for Rhett. Rhett still had the free will to choose someone or not.

The last scene was with Bailey on the patio. Jeremy had already left earlier. Rhett took Bailey’s hands in his own and told him he was sorry he couldn’t pick him. Bailey managed to shed one tear for the camera before wishing all the best to Rhett and walking away, leaving Rhett standing alone in the garden, making a very dramatic ending for the show. Jerry seemed to be pleased with the first take and Rhett sighed from relief.

He was now free.

He wouldn’t need to take orders from a shitty producer anymore and he wouldn’t constantly need to think about cameras and microphones following him. For a moment he was happy about that but then it only reminded him of Link and how they had been looking forward to being together without extra eyes and ears around.

Jerry informed them they would head back to the mansion before leaving for the last time. Rhett nodded, he wasn’t feeling like going back in just yet. He needed some fresh air so he decided to walk further into the garden.

It was like he had just been there with Link. He remembered how he had held his hand, both a little nervous but excited about the new experiences they would have together. Link had been so beautiful that night.

Rhett arrived to the bench where he and Link had kissed.  _ Link’s lips were soft like the finest rose.  _ Rhett touched his own lips with his fingertips, imagining Link was there.

Rhett sat on the bench, looking at the dimly lit garden. The place didn’t look as beautiful as it had when Link had been there with him. Rhett felt almost silly to be this way but he had never met anyone like Link. No one had ever made him feel so strongly. For all his life he imagined love would come slowly, gradually. Not like this, not like suddenly having someone he could not imagine living life without.

He shifted his legs, ready to get up and get back to the mansion when his foot touched something that rustled. He looked down.  _ Could it be? _

Rhett picked up the remains of a rose. It had lost most of its bright red color and it was dried to almost paper-like consistency, but Rhett knew what it was. The first rose Link had lost. The one which made Lucas make those nasty remarks about Link for the first time as they came back without the rose.

It reminded him of the next rose Link had lost, it was somewhere on the beaches of Hawaii. Maybe it had shrivelled too and within time it had become buried in the sand. Or maybe the waves of crystal clear ocean had sunk it to its depths, long forgotten.

The third rose Link had left behind was the one left with the letter in the hotel room in Alaska. It probably had been picked up and thrown away by now, sitting amongst garbage, rotting away.

It was like Link had left little breadcrumbs along the way, all over the country, reminding Rhett of his existence until time took the evidence of their love away.

From all those wonderful moments together, from all the joy, all that was left just one desiccated flower, and now even that was falling apart in Rhett’s hands. Once such a beautiful rose which had been touching Link’s silky black hair was the only thing he had left of Link beside the memories. All the roses he had given to Link, the universe took them away, like they were never meant to be together.

Rhett caressed the rose gently with his forefinger and smiled a sad smile. Life was cruel. It could show its beauty in all its glory and in the next moment take it all away.

Rhett kept the rose in his hand while he followed the path back to the mansion. Everything was so quiet. It was just him in the backyard. Rhett snorted at the sight of red rose petals, leading to the romantic patio where he’d had to reject Bailey and Jeremy. The place where he was supposed to ask Link if he would want to continue his life with him, together.

Rhett was about to turn away but then he saw something, a shadow in the distance. He looked up, focusing his eyes.

On the patio he saw a figure. First he thought his mind was playing tricks on him but then he saw the figure move and turn to face him. Rhett’s heart started beating faster.

_ ‘’Is it him?’’ _ he whispered to himself and started walking down the path. He walked faster and faster, nearly running, making rose petals fly around him.  _ ‘’Link?!’’ _

_ It’s him, he is here! _ Rhett saw him clearly and he nearly fell on his face like Link almost had when they first met. He stopped right in front of Link who was looking at him with his eyes wide and glimmering.

‘’Hi,’’ Link uttered.

‘’Link… But how…’’ Rhett started.

‘’I’m happy with you Rhett. Happier than I’ve ever been with anybody. I- I can’t let you go,’’ Link said and leaped towards Rhett, grabbing him tightly.

Rhett was stunned but he quickly wrapped his arms around Link and nuzzled his hair with his nose, taking in Link’s unique sweet scent Rhett, one he was worried he wouldn’t ever be able to smell again.

‘’What about Connor?’’ He muttered into Link’s hair.

‘’He wants me to be happy. He made me come here. I’ve been with him every day since we left Alaska and even on the plane he said he shouldn’t have asked me to leave the competition but he had just been afraid of being alone in the hospital. Then he heard me call you and he… I’ve never seen him angry like that. He basically yelled at me to drag my ass here,’’ Link chuckled against Rhett’s chest.

‘’But I still want to be there for him, Rhett. I love him and care for him as a friend,’’ Link looked up.

‘’I’ll be there if he wants me to be.’’ Rhett heard everything Link said and was worried about Connor’s health but was more concentrated on the feeling of Link in his arms and the fact that Link loved him romantically, not Connor. It was too good to be true. Link had chosen him, he was actually there.

‘’I thought I would never see you again,’’ Rhett whispered and cupped Link’s face with his hands.

‘’I’m here now and I’m not gonna go away again,’’ Link got onto his tip toes and wrapped his arms around Rhett’s neck, kissing him in earnest.

Rhett felt a tear running down on his cheek, he was the happiest he had ever been.

‘’What is that?’’ Link asked when his hand brushed against the shrivelled rose.

‘’I found it in the garden,’’ Rhett smiled, he twirled the rose and offered it to Link.

‘’Is it the one I-’’ Link took the rose from Rhett and studied it.

‘’It is.’’

A few feet away was the seating area and on the table there was a silver platter with one red rose on it. It had been a prop for the segments he had to film with Bailey and Jeremy. It had been there as a teaser, since usually the bachelor would pick someone in the end by giving his chosen one the last rose.

Gently, Rhett took the old rose from Link’s hand and walked over to the silver platter. He switched it to the new one and came back. He held it in front of Link.

‘’Link, will you accept this rose,’’ Rhett asked playfully.

‘’What are the ramifications?’’ Link grinned.

Rhett knew he could give him a joke answer, and normally he would, but this time he just smiled and stroked Link’s cheek with the back of his hand.

‘’You get to spend the rest of the life with me, if you want,’’ He spoke quietly, feeling butterflies in his stomach.

Link stood there, tears glistening in his eyes but a wide smile appeared across his face.

‘’I’ll take it, Rhett! I’ll take all the roses you give me, now and forever.’’

It was Rhett’s turn to grab Link and kiss him. He would give all the roses to Link if that is what would keep him by his side. He would give him every single rose in the whole wide world.

 

**~~Epilogue -A Year Later~~**

 

‘’Okay, everybody it’s starting!’’ Link exclaimed, getting everyone’s attention.

‘’Coming, coming! Hey, Bailey, could you get the wine bottle? I’m kinda outta hands already,’’ Rhett showed the four wine glasses he had hanging from one hand and a popcorn bowl in the other.

‘’Of course,’’ Bailey took the bottle and followed Rhett to the living room where Link and Jeremy were already waiting for the newest season of  _ The Bachelor _ to start.

Bailey sat in the empty space between Jeremy and Link. Jeremy wrapped his arm around Bailey’s shoulders. Link gave them a smile as he poured wine in the glasses for them. Rhett sat on the other side of Link, patting his knee.

‘’I’m so excited,’’ Rhett said and grabbed his glass, holding it up for a toast.

The opening credits started and the theme music started playing.

‘’There he is! Oh, he looks so handsome!’’ Bailey leaped to the edge of the couch to see the dramatic opening segments of Connor holding roses closer.

‘’He looks so different on TV,’’ Jeremy commented.

‘’I know, right?’’ Link chuckled, taking a sip of the wine.

‘’I wonder if I’d have looked different too,’’ Rhett wondered, taking a long swig of his wine.

‘’Ah, come on. Don’t bring that up now. We were really lucky to get off of that hook,’’ Link rolled his eyes.

‘’Besides, you already know how you look on screen, Mr. media mogul,’’ Bailey reached around Link to give Rhett’s shoulder a little push.

‘’I’m just on the internet,’’ Rhett complained jokingly.

‘’Shush! Connor is meeting the first constants now,’’ Link put a finger to his lips and leaned forward to hear better.

‘’Connor makes a far better bachelor since I doubt he would fall for the first pretty boy coming out of the car,’’ Jeremy said matter-of-factly.

‘’You calling me pretty now?’’ Link turned his attention to Jeremy.

‘’Hey, can we watch now? Next time we see Connor and he asks what we thought about the first episode, we’re all gonna be like  _ uhhmmm,’’  _ Bailey pleaded.

Rhett twirled the wine in his glass. The year had been long but it was all worth it as he watched his new friends and his love sitting next to him on the couch. One of their friends being on the screen, trying to find true love too. Connor had made a remarkable recovery after his surgery and just a month later he had gotten a call from the production company. Connor didn’t think twice as he agreed to do  _ The Bachelor  _ all over again. The company had been unhappy with how the one Rhett starred in turned out. Jerry had been fired because the production company learned about everything he had done, blackmailing and keeping Connor’s illness as a secret. The season was shelved.

They said the right thrill wasn’t there since it was obvious the whole the time who Rhett was going to choose in the end.

Rhett had never been so relieved and he thought Link was even more relieved now that they didn’t have to fear their sex tapes playing for everyone to hear.

But in the end Rhett was truly thankful for the show. Without it he would still be working late and returning to his empty home just to sleep. Now he had something to look forward to everyday. Link was working at his company too, right beside him. They had plans for starting a new show together, but it was still just in the contemplation stage. They still had time to figure everything out. Meanwhile they were happy in their new home in the hills. But Rhett had plans for something big.

After watching the first episode, Jeremy and Bailey stayed late for dinner. When they were gone Rhett snuggled beside Link in their massive California king bed.

If Rhett ever needed to list his favorite things about Link, one would be waking up beside him, but having him bounce in his lap all hot and bothered right in the morning would be even higher on that list. Sometimes it was still difficult to believe his luck to have the privilege to be loved by this divine creature in his lap.

Rhett loved how the first morning light hit Link’s lithe, sweaty body as he rode him hard, moaning loudly, not having to worry about anyone hearing them. Rhett kept his hands on Link’s tiny waist, keeping him lined correctly to meet his thrusts until he collapsed on top of Rhett, breathing heavily and kissing his torso, telling him how much he loved him. Rhett kissed the top of Link’s sweaty head. ‘’I love you so much,’’ he slid his hand across Link’s back, stroking him. Usually Link would fall asleep for a good ten minutes or so after their morning fun but it was a special day so he nudged Link a little.

‘’Darling?’’

‘’Hmm?’’

‘’I know it’s Saturday and you’d love to spend all day in the bed with me but we have company coming over tonight, remember?’’ Rhett spoke softly, still gently petting Link’s smooth back.

‘’I remember, but they won’t come until much later and I just did so I don’t wanna get up yet,’’ Link snuggled closer to Rhett.

Rhett chuckled. Link never failed to be sassy.

‘’Come on, baby…’’ Rhett tried again.

‘’Why did you have to invite both of our families over at the same time anyway? That’s gonna be so much of a hassle, ugh…’’ Link tried to pull the covers on himself.

‘’You’ll know soon enough but for now… shower.’’ Rhett tossed the covers off the bed. He shivered from the coolness of the air around them.

Link sighed but got onto his elbows. He flicked his head to get the strands of wild, messy hair off his face. He bit his lower lip and looked Rhett in the eyes.

‘’Shower sex?’’

‘’You’re insatiable,’’

‘’You’re one to talk,’’ Link glanced down Rhett’s body, seeing his lower half already getting excited at the idea.

‘’It’s your fault really, no one should be allowed to be as sexy as you are,’’

‘’Pfft,’’ Link rolled his eyes and hopped out of bed. He swayed his hips and looked over his shoulder invitingly.

‘’Rhett looked up and down his lover’s body. Wide shoulders, long, lean back, gorgeous thighs. The only thing Link was wearing was the beaded anklet Rhett had given him; he rarely took it off. Rhett quickly got up and followed Link into the master bathroom.

Their shared showers always lasted a lot longer than planned. Link was simply too irresistible naked and wet, apparently Link thought the same about Rhett. Again, Rhett had nothing to complain about.

Rhett was choosing clothes to wear for the day while Link just threw one of Rhett’s big button ups on and went downstairs. Rhett knew he needed his morning coffee before actually starting the day.

Of course Rhett usually wore casual clothes at home but this time he put on suit pants, shoes and a burgundy shirt, tugged under the waistband of his pants. He put on his nicest watch and belt and checked his beard and hair in the mirror. He patted his pocket to make sure he had everything he needed before going downstairs.

Rhett immediately knew where Link would be. It had been Link’s routine for over half a year now. Ever since their garden was finished. Rhett stopped at the French style double doors leading to the backyard. He saw Link in his oversized shirt and bare feet putting his coffee mug down and going to the first rose bush they had planted together.

Link had laughed when Rhett brought it home and said it was the cheesiest thing Rhett had ever done.

_ ‘’I promised you all the roses,’’ _ Rhett had simply answered and within a couple of months the whole backyard was filled with various types of roses, vines, bushes, and even rose trees.

Rhett watched Link trace the petals of the biggest rose with his finger. It was a species without thorns. Rhett had said it would be safer for Link, not stabbing himself on the thorns all the time. Link had rolled his eyes then but Rhett knew he liked it the most.

Rhett opened the doors quietly, sneaking up behind his boyfriend. Link startled when arms wrapped around him.

‘’Don’t sneak up on me like that!’’ Link yelped.

‘’Sorry,’’ Rhett murmured and kissed the side of Link’s neck before turning him around in his arms.

‘’Forgiven,’’ Link smiled but then looked at Rhett and frowned.

‘’Why you’re dressed so fancy so early?’’

Rhett took a deep breath.

_ Here we go. _

‘’I know I could take you on a hot air balloon ride or a huge-ass yacht or fly you to Italy and take you to the most picturesque little café and ask you this, but we’ve done most of those things already and none of them are nearly as perfect as you are right now, standing in this garden we made. Wearing my shirt, your cute little butt peeking out when you smell the roses,’’ Rhett smiled charmingly, took a small box from his pocket and slid onto one knee.

Link gasped, bringing his hands onto his mouth.

‘’I’ve given you all the roses I possibly can and I love you so much, there’s nothing more than I can do but,’’ He opened the jewelry box, revealing a gold ring.

‘’Ready to have an engagement party tonight?’’ Rhett watched Link’s bright blue eyes shining. Link was always beautiful but this look was new: pure joy. Rhett’s heart fluttered wildly when Link answered:

‘’Of course, of course, yes, yes, yes!’’ and leaped into Rhett’s arms, hugging him tightly.

Rhett laughed and hugged him back before taking Link’s hand into his own and sliding the ring to its place. Rhett gave it a little kiss and then pulled Link close.

‘’My lovely fiancé,’’ Rhett whispered.

‘’My gorgeous future husband,’’ Link whispered back.

Rhett closed the gap between them, kissing Link’s soft lips once again.

He was finally whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! Thank you so much for all the love you have given to this fic! :) It's been so much fun writing this story and share it with you! ❤︎❤︎❤︎

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think of this so far! Your comments/thoughts means the world to me.  
> -JM ❤︎


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